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GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  ALABAMA 

EUGENE  ALLEN  SMITH,  State  Geologist 


-«>  -  *>  :s 

The 

Underground  Water  Resources 
of  Alabama 


By 
EUGENE  ALLEN  SMITH 

PREPARED  IN  GO-OPERATION   WITH   THE  UNITED  STATES 
GEOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


Montgomery,    Alabama 

The  Brown  Printing  Company,  State  Printers  and  Binders 
1907 


PREFATORY  LETTER. 


To  his  Excellency, 

B.  B." COMER, 

Governor  of  Alabama, 

Sir: — Since  1898  thje  Geological  Survey  of  Alabama  in 
co-operation  with  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  has 
been  engaged  in  the  systematic  investigation  of  the  Water 
Resources  of  the  State. 

Most  of  the  well  records  contained  in  the  present  report  were 
published  by  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  in  Water 
Supply  and  Irrigation  Paper  No.  102,  "Contributions  to  the 
Hydrology  of  the  Eastern  United  States,  by  M.  L.  Fuller, 
1903-4."  A  year  later  a  Summary  of  the  Underground  Water 
Conditions  in  Alabama,  with  a  sketch  map  showing  approxi- 
mately the  artesian  water  systems  of  the  State,  was  prepared 
by  the  present  writer  for  Water  Supply  and  Irrigation  Paper 
No.  114  of  the  National  Survey,  "Underground  Water  Condi- 
tions of  the  Eastern  United  States,  by  M.  L.  Fuller,  1904." 

The  manuscript  of  this  report,  in  approximately  its  present 
form,  was  submitted  in  July  1905  to  the  Director  of  the  United 
States  Geological  Survey.  In  that  office  it  was  edited,  to  its 
material  improvement,  and  with  the  expectation  of  early  publi- 
cation ;  but  owing  to  the  congestion  of  work  at  the  Govern- 
ment Printing  Office,  the  prospect  of  immediate  publication  by 
the  National  Survey  seemed  to  be  so  remote  that  the  manu- 
script was  returned  for  publication  by  the  Alabama  Survey. 

During  this  interval  a  considerable  amount  of  new  material 
had  accumulated,  which  has  been  incorporated  in  the  report, 
together  with  additional  sections  in  the  discussion  of  the  Chem- 
istry and  Classification  of  the  Alabama  Waters. 

I  trust  that  the  report  now  submitted  to  the  people  of  Ala- 
bama may  be  of  service  to  many,  and  that  in  due  time  it  may 
be  followed  by  a  more  comprehensive  account  of  the  Under- 
ground Water  Resources  of  the  State,  and  especially  of  the 
medicinal  waters'. 


182018 


iv  PREFATORY  LETTER. 

Most  of  the  records  of  wells  and  springs  herein  mentioned 
were  collected  by  Dr.  B.  F.  Lovelace,  then  with  the  University 
of  Alabama ;  some,  by  Mr.  James  A.  Anderson  of  Alabama  Sur- 
vey; the  rest  by  correspondence  from  the  office  of  the  United 
States'  Geological  Survey.  The  analyses,  with  the  few  excep- 
tions duly  credited,  were  made  in  the  laboratory  of  the  Ala- 
bama Survey  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Hodges,  Chemist  to  the  Survey. 
Very  respectfully, 

EUGENE  A.  SMITH, 

State  Geologist. 

University  of  Alabama,  March  25,  1907. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Physical  Geography,  Geology  and  Climate 

Physical  geography  and  natural  divisions- 
Geographic    position 

Surface  configuration  and  grand  divisions 1 

River  systems 

Mountain    and    table-lands . 3 

Subdivisions    * 

Geology     4 

Appalachian  division  6 

Talladega  Mountains  and  Ashland  Plateau G 

Appalachian  Valleys 7 

Coal  Fields   9 

Valley  of  the  Tennessee 10 

Coastal  Plain  division 12 

Cretaceous   1 13 

Tuscaloosa  formation 13 

Eutaw  sands 13 

Selnia  chalk 

Ripley  formation 

Tertiary    

Eocene    14 

Midway  group 15 

Clayton  limestone  15 

Sucarnochee  clay 15 

Naheola    (Matthews  Landing)    formation . .    15 

Chickasaw    (Wilcox)   group 15 

Nanafalia  formation  (Coal  Bluff)   16 

Tuscahoma  formation   (Bells  Landing) 17 

Bashi  formation  (Woods  Bluff)   17 

Hatchetigbee  formation 17 

Claiborne  group  

Tallahatta  buhrstone  17 

Lisbon  formation 

Gosport  greensand 

St.  Stephens  Limestone 

Topographic  features  of  the  Ebcene  __ 19 

Miocene    

Chattahoochee  series    

Pliocene    

Pascagoula r- 

Grand  Gulf  formation  _ 

Quaternary    

Lafayette  formation : 24 

Later  formations 25 

Climate  of  Alabama,  by  Frank  P.  Chaffee—  25 

General  features   

Temperature    

Killing  frost    

Precipitation   28 

Hail  _  29 

Fog    29 

Thunderstorms   — 

Winds    _  30 


vi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  II. 

A.  General  discussion  of  underground  waters 32 

Source  of  circulating  waters ,_  32 

Disposition  of  the  water  falling  upon  the  land  surface 32 

Evaporation   before  absorption 33 

Direct  runoff  or  flood-flow 33 

Absorption   _  34 

Final    runoff   35 

Amount  of  water  available  to  artesian  wells 35 

Depth  of  penetration 36 

Distribution  and  movements  of  underground  waters 37 

Modifications  of  groundwater  movement  due  to  physical 

structure 37 

Porosity    37 

Amount  of  water  absorbed  by  porous  rocks 38 

Incomplete  saturation 39 

Lost  water 39 

Permeability    ». 40 

Cause  and  rate  of  movement  of  underground  waters 40 

Velocity 41 

Flow  or  discharge, 41 

Modifications  of  groundwater  movement  due  to  topography  43 

Groundwater  divisions 43 

Surface  zone  of  flow : 44 

Form  of  the  groundwater  table 44 

Modifications  of  groundwater  movement  due  to  stratifica- 
tion      46 

Deep  zones  of  flow 46 

Recovery  of  underground  waters 48 

Waters  near  the  surface 48 

Springs   48 

Open  wells 49 

Driven  wells 49 

Deep-seated  waters 51 

Deep  springs   (Fissure  springs)    51 

Artesian   wells    51 

B.  Artesian  Wells 52 

Essential  conditions  52 

Artesian  system 53 

Modifying  conditions  57 

Effects  of  erosion 57 

Variations  in  the  water-bearing  stratum 58 

Variations  in  the  confining  impervious  beds 59 

Other  modifying  conditions 60 

Arrangement  of  the  strata  in  the  Alabama  Coastal  Plain 61 

Decline  or  failure  of  artesian  wells 62 

Increase  of  leakage 62 

Closure  of  the  bore 62 

Decline  from   exhaustion • 62 

Character  of  the  water 63 

Temperature    63 

Mineral  ingredients 64 

CHAPTER  III. 

Detailed  description  of  the  Underground  waters  of  Alabama. 

Appalachian  division   66 

Talladega  Mountains  and  Ashland  Plateau__  66 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  vil 

Surface  features   66 

Shallow  waters 66 

Mineral  waters 67 

Artesian  prospects 68 

Lanett  wells   70 

Alexander  City  wells 70 

Auburn,  Lee  county 71 

Appalachian  Valleys 71 

Surface  features   71 

Shallow  waters 71 

Mineral  waters 72 

Sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters 

Jones  springs 73 

St.   Clair  springs 73 

Talladega  springs 74 

Shelby   springs   * 75 

Hawkins  well — Leeds  mineral  water 75 

Alabama  White  Sulphur  springs 76 

Blonnt  springs  and  vicinity 77 

Cold  spring 79 

Glenwood   Springs   79 

Harrell's  well  80 

Borden-Wheeler  springs . 80 

Other  springs 81 

Ingram  Well 82 

Saline  Waters 82 

Landers  well  and  Gary  springs 82 

Ball   Flat   well   83 

Artesian  prospects 84 

Anniston    85 

Gate  City 86 

Coal  Measures   (Carboniferous  rocks)    88 

Shallow  waters 88 

Mineral  waters 88 

Cook  springs 89 

Springs  on  Shades  Mountain 89 

.  Springs  on  Lookout  Mountain 90 

Mentone  springs 91 

Other  springs 91 

Artesian  prospects 92 

Etowah  county 93 

Cahaba  field  94 

St.  Clair  County  94 

Warrior  field 94 

Walker  County 94 

Cnllman  County 95 

Marion  County 96 

Jefferson  County 96 

Fayette  County 97 

Tuscaloosa   County   97 

Yalley  of  the  Tennessee 100 

Surface  features   100 

Shallow  waters 100 

Mineral  waters „ 

Chalybeate  springs  

Sulphur  springs 

Alkaline-Saline  springs 

Acid    springs 

Tar  springs 

Artesian  prospects 105 


vin  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

New  Market  105 

Hazel  Green  106 

South  of  Tennessee  River 106 

Coastal  Plain  Division   108 

General  account . 108 

Waters  of  the  Cretaceous 111 

Tombigbee-Alabama-Conecuh  rivers  drainage 111 

Discussion  by  counties 113 

Lainar   County   113 

Shallow  waters 113 

Artesian  prospects 114 

Sulligent 114 

Fayette  County 114 

Tuscaloosa   County   115 

Surface  features '. 115 

Shallow  waters 115 

Artesian  prospects 117 

Tuscaloosa  and  vicinity 118 

Right  bank  of  river 120 

Hulls   121 

Willifords    122 

Bibb  County    122 

Chilton  County 123 

Pickens  County   123 

Surface  features  123 

Shallow  waters 123 

Artesian  prospects 124 

Wells  in  the  Eutaw  formation 124 

Sipsey  River 125 

Lubbub  Creek 125 

Aliceville  and  vicinity 125 

Near  Tombigbee  River 126 

Pickensville  and  vicinity 127 

Wells  in  the  Selma  Chalk 128 

Vienna  and  vicinity 128 

Stone  and  vicinity  129 

Sherman,  Dancy  and  vicinity 130 

Sumter  County 131 

Surface  features 131 

Shallow  waters 131 

Springs  in  Selma  chalk 131 

Near  Epes 131 

Springs  in  the  Tertiary  foramtion 132 

York  and  vicinity 133 

Artesian  prospects 135 

Warsaw  and  vicinity 135 

Gainesville  and  vicinity 137 

Epes  and  vicinity 139 

Sumterville  and  vicinity 141 

Livingston  and  vicinity 141 

Greene  County 143 

Surface  features   143 

Artesian  records 145 

Judge  Mobley's  list 146 

Sipsey    152 

Lock  6  now  Lock  9,  Black  Warrior  River__  152 

Steeles  Bluff T 152 

Clinton  and  vicinity 152 

Eutaw  and  vicinity  and  southward 152 

Hairston  _  156 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  ix 

Boligee  and  vicinity 156 

Burton  Hill 157 

Erie  and  vicinity 157 

Forkland  and  vicinity 157 

Hale  County 158 

Surface  features   158 

Artesian  wells 158 

Moundville  and  vicinity 159 

Powers  Station  and  vicinity 160 

Cypress  Switch 160 

Stewarts  and  vicinity 160 

Akron  and  vicinity 101 

Evans  Station  and  vicinity 162 

Wedgworth,    (Greenwood,  Mays  Station) 163 

Lock  4    (now  Lock  7) 165 

Sawyerville  and  vicinity 166 

Erie    166 

Greensboro  and  vicinity 167 

Millwood  and  vicinity 168 

Cedarville  and  vicinity 169 

Whitsitt  and  vicinity 170 

Newberne  and  vicinity   171 

Sunshine 174 

Laneville  and  vicinity 174 

Gallion  and  vicinity 174 

Faunsdale  and  vicinity _ 175 

Perry  County 176 

Shallow  waters 177 

Artesian  waters  _: 177 

Wells  in  the  Tuscaloosa  formation 177 

>\7ells  in  the  Eutaw  formation 178 

Marion  and  vicinity 178 

Old  Hamburg  178 

Radfordville    178 

Felix  and  vicinity 179 

Wells  in  the  Senna  chalk 180 

Uniontown  and  vicinity 180 

Scott's   Station  180 

Southward  from  Marion 180 

Hamburg  Station  and  vicinity 181 

Marion  Junction  and  vicinity 182 

Marengo   County    182 

Surface  features 182 

Artesian  records   183 

Demopolis  and  vicinity 183 

Gallion  and  vicinity 185 

Faunsdale  and  vicinity 185 

Near  Old  Spring  Hill 186 

Dayton    186 

Linden     187 

Flatwoods  or  Post  Oaks 188 

Lower  part  of  the  county 190 

Dallas  County 190 

General  Conditions 190 

Artesian  records   : 192 

Cahaba   192 

Selma  and  vicinity 194 

Along  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  R.  R 199 

Orrville  and  vicinity  199 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Martins   Station  and  vicinity,   Louisville  & 

Nashville  R.  R. 100 

Near  lines  of  Southern  R.  R. 200 

East  of  Alabama  River 205 

Lowndes  Comity    205 

Surface   features    206 

Artesian    records 207 

Scott  Hill 207 

Lowndes   Station   207 

Corrie    207 

Hayneville   208 

Montgomery  County 208 

Surface  features   208 

Shallow  waters 208 

Artesian   records 208 

Montgomery     200 

North  and  west  of  Montgomery ,_  213 

South  and  east  of  Montgomery 213 

Autauga  County 215 

Shallow   waters    215 

Artesian  prospects 215 

Prattville   215 

Autaugaville    210 

Elmore  County 210 

Surface  features   210 

Shallow  waters 210 

Artesian  conditions 220 

Prattville  Junction   220 

Grandview    221 

State  Farm   221 

Macon  County 221 

Surface  features   221 

Artesian  prospects 221 

Tuskegee 222 

Warriorstand 222 

Chesson 222 

Hardaway    , 222 

Downs  and  vicinity 222 

Fort  Davis 223 

Roba    223 

Lee  County 223 

Surface  features 223 

Artesian  prospects 223 

Auburn    223 

Girard  224 

Pike  County   224 

Artesian  prospects 224 

Orion  and  vicinity 224 

Logton    225 

Linwood    ^ 225 

Troy 225 

Bullock  County 226 

Surface  features   226 

Artesian    prospects   227 

Mitchell  Station 227 

Fitzpatrick    227 

Thompson  Station 227 

North  of  Chunnennugga  Ridge 227 

Shopton  and  vicinity 227 

Bughall  228 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.(  xi 

Union.  Springs  and  vicinity 228 

East  of  Union  Springs 220 

South  of  Union  Springs . 229 

Chattahoocb.ee  River  drainage — "bine  marl  region" 230 

Stratigraphic  characters 230 

County   details   232 

Russell  comity   232 

Surface  features 232 

Artesian    records    232 

Kaolin   Station   232 

Hurtsboro  and  vicinity   233 

Hatchechnbbee  and  vicinity 234 

Seale  and  vicinity 234 

Rutherford  and  vicinity 235 

Pittsboro  and  vicinity 236 

Glenville  and  vicinity 237 

Barbour  County 238 

Surface  features   238 

Artesian  prospects 240 

Eufaula  and  vicinity  240 

Harris  and  vicinity 242 

Clayton     244 

Waters  of  the  Tertiary 245 

General  statement 245 

Discussion  by  counties 252 

Henry    County    252 

Surface  features 252 

Artesian    record    252 

Houston  County 252 

Surface  features   252 

Artesian   records   253 

Columbia    253 

Dothan    253 

Geneva  County 254 

Surface  features    254 

Artesian   records   . 254 

Geneva'     2o4 

Hartford —>r» 

Slocomb    '. 255 

Dale  County   255 

Artesian  prospects 255 

Ozark 256 

Coffee  County 256 

Surface  features   256 

Artesian  prospects 256 

Elba  and  vicinity 257 

Brocton    257 

Enterprise    258 

Covington  County 258 

Surface  features   258 

Shallow  waters 258 

Artesian  prospects '. 259 

Andalusia  and  vicinity  259 

River  Falls  and  Sanford 260 

Crenshaw  County 261 

Surface  features   261 

Artesian  prospects 261 

Theba    262 

Hrantley  and  vicinity 262 

Searight    - 263 


xii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Butler  County 263 

Surface  features  :  263 

Mineral  waters 263 

Roper's  well   263 

liutler   Springs 265 

Artesian   prospects    266 

Greenville    266 

Forest    266 

Boiling    - 266 

Chapman    267 

Dunham    267 

Conecuh  County 267 

Surface  features   267 

Artesian   prospects    268 

Evergreen 268 

Escambia  County 268 

Surface  features 268 

Artesian   prospects   269 

Brewton  and  vicinity 269 

Herrington  and  vicinity 271 

Pollard    — 271 

West  of  Pollard 272 

Roberts  273 

Monroe  County 276 

Surface  features 276 

Mineral  waters 276 

Awin  and  vicinity 276 

Tunnel  Springs 277 

Artesian  prospects 277 

Nadawah    278 

Maros    278 

Wilcox  County 279 

Surface  features   279 

Mineral  waters 280 

Caledonia  280 

Schuster   280 

Awin    281 

Other  Springs 281 

Artesian  prospects 282 

Pine  Hill 282 

Catherine  and  vicinity   282 

Clarke  County 283 

Surface  features 283 

Mineral  waters 283 

Tallahatta   Springs  283 

Lower  Salt  Works  Sulphur  Springs 283 

Artesian   prospects    284 

Old  Salt  wells 284 

Recent  borings 286 

Choctaw  County 290 

Surface  features  290 

Mineral  Springs 290 

Springs  of  the  Claiborne  formation 290 

Thornton  springs  _: 290 

Mineral  extracts 290 

Springs  of  the  Buhrstone  and  Hatchetigbee 

formations   _  291 

Bladon  Springs 291 

Springs  along  Turkey  Creek 293 

Other  Springs 293 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  xin 

Springs  of  the  Woods  Bluff  formation 294 

Butler  and  vicinity 294 

Springs  of  the  Tuscahoma  formation 294 

Springs  of  the  Nanafalia  formation 294 

Springs  of  the  Naheola  formation 295 

Artesian  prospects  _: 295 

Cullom    Springs    295 

Butler 297 

Washington  County : 297 

Surface  features 297 

Mineral  Springs 298 

Springs  of  the  Hatchetigbee  formation 298 

Springs  of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation 299 

Healing  Springs : 299 

Artesian  prospects 300 

Old  Salt  wells .. 300 

St.    Stephens  301 

Mobile  County 302 

Surface  features 302 

Mineral  waters 304 

Citronelle   304 

Springs  near  the  coast 304 

Springs  about  Mobile  Bay 306 

Artesian  prospects 307 

Mobile  and  vicinity 307 

Alabama  Port 311 

Fort  Gaines 309 

Wells  on  Portersville  Bay  Shore 313 

Citronelle   314 

Baldwin  County 314 

Surface  features 314 

Shallow  waters 315 

Mineral  waters 316 

Artesian  prospects . 316 

Supplementary  notes 317 

Additions    317 

Appalachian  Valleys 317 

Valley  of  the  Tennessee 317 

Coastal  Plain  Division   318 

Cretaceous   318 

Hale  County : 318 

Tertiary    320 

Sumter  County 320 

Corrections. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Chemistry  and  Classification  of  Alabama  Waters 323 

Chemistry    323 

Classification 326 

Scheme  of  Classification 328 

Alkaline  Waters  (Tables  I  and  II)   328 

Alkaline-Saline  waters   (Table  III)    331 

Saline  waters  (Table  IV) 332 

Acid  waters  (Table  V)   334 

Generalizations 336 

Waters  from  the  Tuscaloosa  strata  (Table  VI; 336 

Waters  from  the  Eutaw  sands  (Table  VII) 337 

Waters    from    Upper    Cretaceous     and    Tertiary     strata 

(Table  VIII) 338 


xiv  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Blue  Marl  waters 338 

Tertiary  waters 339 

Concluding  Remarks    344 

Sanitary  Analysis  345 

Analysis  of  Mineral  Waters 34G 

Tables  df  analyses  of  Alabama  waters 351 

Table  I.     Calcic  alkaline  bi-carbonates  waters 352-353 

Table  II.     Sodic  alkaline  bi-carbonated  waters 354 

Table  III.     Alkaline-saline  waters 356-357 

Table  IV.     Saline   waters   358-359 

Table  V.     Acid  waters 360 

Table  VI.     Waters  derived  from  Tuscaloosa  strata 361 

Table  VII.     Waters  derived  from  Eutaw  sands 362 

Table  VIII.     Waters  derived  from  upper  Cretaceous  (Blue 

Marl)    and  Tertiary  strata  363 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FULL  PAGE  PLATES. 

Plate  I Frontispiece. 

Geological  and  Artesian  Water  Map  of  Alabama. 

Facing  Page. 
Plate  II   49 

Big  Spring  in  Huntsville,  Madison  County. 
Plate  III 74 

Talladega  Springs,  Talladega  County. 
Plate  IV 75 

Shelby  Springs,  Shelby  County. 
Plate  V 76 

Hawkins  Well,  (Leeds  Mineral  Water)  Jefferson  County. 
Plate  VI 77 

Alabama  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Dekalb  County. 
Plate   VII    . 78 

Blount  Springs,  Blount  County. 
Plate  VIII 80 

Borden- Wheeler  Springs,  Cleburne  County. 
Plate  IX 82 

A.  Ingram  Well,  near  Ohatchee,  Calhoun  County. 

B.  Gate  City  Well,  Jefferson  County. 

Plate  X.  89 

A.  Cook  Springs,  St.  Clair  County. 

B.  Mentone  Springs,  Dekalb  County. 

Plate  XI 100 

Big  Spring,  Tuscumbia,  Colbert  County. 
Plate  XII 103 

Bailey  Springs,  Lauderdale  County. 
Plate  XIII   110-111 

Map  of  Alabama  Showing  Approximately  the     Artesian 

Systems. 
Plate  XIV  . 1 122 

Artesian  Well  at  Willifords,  Tuscaloosa  County. 
Plate  XV  169 

A.     Well  on  Crassdale  Plantation    (J.  O.   Banks)    near 
Eutaw  Greene  County. 

B.Pickens  Well,  near  Greensboro,  Hale  County. 
Plate  XVI   _  197 


TABLE  OF  CONTEXTS.  xv 

A.  Well  in  Elkdale  Park,  Selma,  Dallas  County. 

B.  Old  Road  Showing  Grand  Gulf  Strata  capped  with 
Lafayette  near  Gainestown  Ferry,  Clarke  County. 

Plate  XVII   246 

A.  Blue  Pond — Near  Dixie,   Covington  County. 

B.  Pavilion  of  Sulphur  Well,  near  Clarke  County. 

Plate  XVIII   1 247 

Red  Bluff  on  Mobile  Bay  near  Moiitrose,  Baldwin  Coun- 
ty, Grand  Gulf  Strata  capped  with  Lafayette. 
Plate  XIX  248 

Bluff  of  Grand  Gulf   Strata  •  overlain     by     Lafayette, 

Perdido  Bay,  near  Soldiers  Creek,  Baldwin  County. 
Plate  XX 249 

Perdido  Bay  from  Bluff,  near  Lillian,  Baldwin  County. 
Plate  XXI  250 

Gum  Pond,  Flatwoods  (Grand  Gulf),  Baldwin  County. 
Plate  XXII   251 

Pine  Meadow  or  Savannah,  between  Swift  and  Lillian, 

Baldwin  County. 
Plate  XXIII 259 

McDade's  Pond,  Florala,  Covington  County. 
Plate  XXIV 292 

A.  Hotel  at  Bladon  Springs,  Choctaw  County. 

B.  Pavilion  of  Sulphur  Spring,  Bladon  Springs,  Choc- 
taw  County. 

Plate  XXV    295 

Hotel  at  Culloin  Springs  near  Bladou  Springs,  Choctaw 
County. 

Plate  XXVI 297 

Salt  Well  at  Cullom  Springs,  Choctaw  County. 

Plate  XXVII 299 

A.  Mound   Spring  at     Healing     Springs,     Washington 
County. 

B.  Creek     Spring     at     Healing     Springs,     Washington 
Countv. 

Plate  XXVIII 310 

Bascomb  Well  No.  2  (Salt  Water  and  Inflammable  Gas), 
near  Mobile,  Mobile  County. 

Plate  XXIX 313 

Artesian  Well,  Oyster     Canning     Establishment,     near 
Bayou  LaBatre,  Mobile  County. 

Plate  XXX 342 

Sketch  Map  of  Cretaceous  Formation. 


xvi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

FIGURES  IN  TEXT. 

Fig.  Page. 

1.  Map  showing  mean  annual  temperatures  in  Alabama 28 

2.  Map  showing  average  annual  precipitation  for  Alabama 30 

3.  Ideal  section  across  a  river  valley  showing  the  position  of 

the  groundwater,  etc 45 

4.  Diagrammatic  section  illustrating  seepage  and  the  growth 

of  streams   45 

5.  Hillside  spring  from  unconfmed  water  bed  without  head__  48 

6.  Hillside  spring  from  confined  bed  under  more  or  less  head 49 

7.  Diagram  showing  buried  sloughs 50 

8.  Fissure   Spring   51 

9.  Section  showing  conditions  furnishing  flows  from  unconfined 

sandy  strata •__ 53 

11.  Diagrammatic  representation  of  a  single  artesian  system 54 

10.     Ideal  Artesian  Basin 54 

12.  Underground  conditions  in  Thompsonville  well   (Conn.) 55 

13.  Illustrating  the  influence  of  the  dip  of  the  strata  on  the 

width  of  the  outcrop 55 

14.  Section  showing  effects  of  erosion 58 

15.  Section  illustrating  the  thinning  out  of  a     porous     water 

bearing  bed 58 

16.  Section  illustrating  the  transition  of  a  porous  water-bearing 

bed  into  a  close  textured  impervious  one 59 

17.  Illustrating  the  overlapping  of  the  intake  area  of  the  porous 

bed  by  an  impervious  bed 60 

18.  Illustrating  occurrence  of  a  gravel  bed  completely  enclosed 

in   clays   60 

19.  Illustrating  occurrence  of  gravelly  beds  of  ancient  streams 

between  impervious  beds 60 

20.  Illustrates  conditions  apparently  favorable  for  water,  but 

where  it  does  not  accumulate 61 

21.  Section  North  and  South  across  Alabama     Coastal     Plain 

illustrating  its  artesian  conditions 62 

22.  Well  in  jointed  rock 69 

23.  Diagram  of  Blount  Springs 78 


UNDERGROUND  WATER  RESOURCES 
OF  ALABAMA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGY,  AND  CLIMATE. 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  AND  NATURAL  DIVISIONS. 

Geographic  position. — Alabama  is  situated  between  the 
•eighty-fifth  and  eighty-ninth  meridians  of  west  longitude  and 
mainly  between  the  thirty-first  and  thirty-fifth  parallels  of  north 
latitude.  The  .total  area  thus  included  is,  according  to  the  latest 
estimates,  52,251  square  miles,  of  which  51,540  square  miles' 
constitute  the  land  surface. 

Surface  Configuration  and  Grand  Divisions. — Apart  from  the 
minor  inequalities  and  the  relatively  small  area  of  the  Talladega 
Mountains,  the  surface  of  the  State  may  be  considered  as  an 
eroded  or  dissected  plain,  whose  mean  elevation  above  sea 
level  is  not  much  les's  than  600  feet.  To  the  north  and  east  the 
surface  rises  above  this  elevation  and  to  the  south  and  west  it 
sinks  below  it.  A  curving  line  drawn  from  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  State  through  Tuscaloosa  and  Montgomery  to  Co- 
lumbus, Georgia,  would  mark  approximately  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  area  whose  altitude  is  above  600  feet.  This 
elevated  land  is  the  Southwestern  terminus  of  the  great  Appa- 
lachian region,  and  forms'  the  Appalachian  Division  of  this 
report. 

The  line  along  which  the  highest  altitudes  occur — i.  e.,  the 
axis  of  elevation  of  this  area — runs  in  a  northeast-southwest 
direction  nearly  along  the  northern  boundaries  of  Coosa,  Clay, 
and  Cleburne  counties.  The  altitude  increases  toward  the 
northeast,  and  as  a  consequence  the  general  slope  of  the  surface 
is  away  from  this  elevated  area  toward  che  northwest,  west, 


2  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

southwest,  south,  and  southeast.  The  mountains  of  the  State 
all  rise  1200  to  1600  feet  above  the  highland,  or  2000  to  2400 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  rest  of  the  State,  whose  general  alti- 
tude is  less  than  600  feet,  constitutes  the  Coastal  Plain  Divi- 
sion. The  surface  of  this'  area  slopes,  approximately  one  foot 
to  the  mile,  south  and  west  toward  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  The  elevation  decreases  from  about  600 
feet  where  it-touches  the  Appalachian  division  to  200  to  300  feet 
in  the  highlands  overlooking  the  Gulf  in  the  two  coast  counties. 
Into  the  materials  of  this  gently  sloping  plain  the  rivers  and 
other  streams'  have  sunk  their  channels,  leaving  between  them 
the  remnants  of  the  original  mass  which  constitute  the  hills 
of  this  section  of  the  State. 

Another  point  of  difference  between  the  two  great  divisions, 
readily  seen  by  an  inspection  of  the  map,  is  the  prevailing  north- 
east-southwest direction  of  the  minor  subdivisions  of  the  Appa- 
lachian area  and  the  approximately  east-west  trend  of  such  sub- 
divisions in  the  Coastal  Plain  area.  Some  other  important  dif- 
ferences between  the  two  sections  will  be  discussed  below. 

River  systems. — In  general  terms,  two  factors  have  been 
mainly  instrumental  in  determining  the  direction  of  the  drain- 
age systems  of  Alabama.  These  are,  first,  the  slopes  toward  the 
northwest  and  southeast  away  from  the  Appalachian  axis  of 
elevation,  and  second,  the  more  general  slope  of  the  surface  of 
the  State,  taken  as  a  whole,  southwestward  toward  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley.  The  latter  factor  has  greatly  outweighed  the 
former  in  fixing  the  direction  of  the  watercourses,  the  result 
being  that  the  whole  drainage  system  of  the  State  has  a  gen- 
eral southwesterly  direction,  'with  the  single  exception  of  the 
Tennessee  River. 

In  the  southeastern  half  of  the  Appalachian  area,  while  the 
natural  fall  is  to  the  southeast  and  south,  most  of  the  streams, 
especially  the  minor  ones,  are  also  influenced  by  the  northeast- 
southwest  trend  of  the  valleys  and  ridges  and  make  their  way 
toward  the  Coastal  Plain  in  a  zigzag  course,  alternating  between 
southeast  and  southwest.  In  the  northwestern  half  of  the  Ap- 
palachian area,  the  two  branches  of  Black  Warrior  River  fol- 
low in  general  the  troughs  or  basins  of  the  Warrior  coal  field, 
which  pitch  toward  the  southwest,  while  the  Tennessee,  en- 
tering the  State  near  its  northeastern  corner,  follows  a  limestone 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  AND  NATURAL  DIVISIONS.  3 

valley  southwestward  to  Guntersville,  and  then  turns  north- 
westward down  the  slope  from  the  axis  of  the  Appalachian 
highlands. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  Appalachian  area  the  dependence 
of  minor  ridges  and  valleys  on  the  geologic  structure  is  most 
clearly  seen.  They  all  have  a  northeast-southwest  trend,  par- 
allel to  the  strike  of  the  outcropping  edges  of  the  folded  strata. 
The  valleys  are  cut  into  the  limestones  and  other  easily  eroded 
rocks,  while  the  harder  rocks  form  the  ridges. 

In  the  Coastal  Plain  area  the  main  or  trunk  streams  have 
southerly  or  southwesterly  courses,  determined  by  the  general 
slope  of  the  surface ;  while  their  minor  tributaries  together  with 
attendant  ridges  and  valleys,  are  controlled  in  location  and  di- 
rection by  the  geologic  structure  and  by  the  character  of  the 
materials  of  the  geological  formations. 

Throughout  the  Coastal  Plain  the  constituent  beds  of  sand, 
clay,  limestone,  and  marl,  have  a  dip  in  the  same  general  di- 
rection as  the  surface  of  the  country,  but  at  a  more  rapid  rate — • 
on  an  average  about  35  or  40  feet  to  the  mile.  While  the  main 
(consequent)  streams'  have  cut  across  the  edges  of  these  slightly 
inclined  beds,  the  smaller  streams  run  roughly  parallel  to  them. 
The  result  is  that  the  landward  or  in-facing  slopes  of  the  minor 
stream  valleys  are  abrupt,  while  the  slopes  facing  gulfward  are 
very  gentle,  often  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  horizontal. 
Thus,  while  the  adjustment  of  the  smaller  streams  of  the  Coas- 
tal Plain  to  the  geologic  structure  is  not  so  striking,  it  5s1  in 
places  quite  as  complete  as  in  the  Appalachian  area. 

Mountains  and  table-lands.— As  has  been  intimated  above,  the 
mountainous1  region  of  the  State  is  confined  to  the  Appalachian 
division,  the  two  halves  of  which  (divided  by  a  northeast- 
southwest  line)  show  important  differences.  In  the  southeas- 
tern half  the  strata  have  been  greatly  folded  and  plicated  and 
in  part  metamorphosed,  and  are  always  much  indurated.  As 
a  consequence  the  mountains  of  this  section,  illustrated  by  the 
Talladega  Mountain  range,  the  most  elevated  in  the  State,  are 
often  s'harp-crested  and  serrated,  but  always  with  uneven  sum- 
mits. In  the  northwestern  half  the  strata  are  in  wide,  open 
waves  or  folds,  and  the  mountains,  exemplified  by  the  Cumber- 
land Plateau,  are  merel  ythe  remnants  of  an  elevated  table- 
land, with  steep  slopes  toward  the  bordering  valleys.-  Between 


4  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

the  principal  members  of  this  mountain  system  are  great  val- 
leys which  are  carved  in  the  main  from  limestones  interstrati- 
fied  with  harder  and  more  durable  beds'  of  sandstone  and  chert. 
These  harder  beds  form  northeast-southwest  minor  ridges 
which  flute  the  great  valley  areas. 

There  are  no  mountains  properly  so  called  in  the  Coastal 
Plain.  The  hills,  like  those  of  the  Cumberland  Plateau,  are 
merely  remnants  carved  from  the  original  mass. 

Sub-Divisions. — The  sub-divisions'  of  the  Appalachian  area, 
based  on  the  topographic  and  geologic  features,  are :  ( i )  The 
Talladega  Mountains  and  Ashland  Plateau,  of  igneous  and 
metamorphic  rocks;  (2)  the  Appalachian  valleys  of  Paleozoic 
rocks  below  the  Coal  Measures,  (Pennsylvanian)  ;  (3)  the  coal 
fields  of  the  Pennsylvanian  Series ;  and  (4)  the  Tennessee  Val- 
ley, of  the  Mississippian  Series,  (Lower  Carboniferous.) 

The  Coastal  Plain  has  two  great  basal  systems,  the  Cretace- 
ous and  Tertiary,  and  two  blanket  formations,  the  Grand  Gulf 
and  Lafayette.  The  Coastal  Plain  is'  best  adapted  to  general 
agriculture  and  is  noted  for  its  extensive  forest  growths. 

In  both  these  great  divisions  of  the  State  the  topographic 
and  other  distinctive  characters  of  the  minor  subdivisions  are 
so  intimately  dependent  on  the  geologic  structure  that  it  is  de- 
sirable to  discus's  these  features  in  connection  with  the  geolo- 
gic formations. 

GEOLOGY. 

The  subjoined  table  shows  the  chronological  sequence  of  the 
geologic  formations  represented  in  Alabama,  and  the  geologic 
map  (PL  I.)  shows  their  surface  distribution.  It  may  be  added 
that  the  existence  of  certain  late  Tertiary  marine  formations 
in  the  lower  counties  of  the  State  has  been  revealed  by  deep 
borings,  while  their  outcrops  have  not  as1  yet  been  observed  at 
the  surface,  a  circumstance  that  is  partly  explained  by  the  pres- 
ence in  that  section  of  two  superficial  formations,  the  Grand 
Gulf  and  the  Lafayette,  beneath  which  these  marine  deposits 
lie  in  places  deeply  buried. 


GEOLOGIC  FORMATIONS  OF  ALABAMA. 


Quaternary. 


Tertiary 


f  Soils 

First  bottom  deposits  and  recent  alluvium 
Second  bottom  deposits 
Columbia  sands 
Lafayette 

Pliocene—  J  Grand  Gulf 
|  Pascagoula 

Miocene — Chattahoochee  (Alum  Bluff,  Oak  Grove,  etc.) 

/  St.  Stephens  limestone 

Gosport  greensand 

I  Claiborne ^  Lisbon  beds 

Tallahatta  buhrstone 


v 

Eocene-./  Chickasaw 

Or  Wilcox 

j  (Lignitic) 


Midway. 


Hatchetigbee 
J  Bashi  (Woods  Bluff.) 
|  Tuscahoma  (Bells  Landing.) 

Nanafalia  (Coal  Bluff) 

.  Naheola  (Matthews  Landing.) 


Sucarnochee  clay 


(  Clayton  limestone 


f  Ripley  marl 


]  Eutaw  sand 

I  Tuscaloosa  formation 


Carboniferous. 


/  Pennsylvanian    Series 
/  (Coal  measures) 


JMississippiau  Series 
[  (Lower  Carboniferous) 


Bangor  limestone 
Oxmoor  formation 
Tuscumbia  limestone 
L  Lauderdale  chert 

Devonian  —  Chattanooga  black  shale 
Silurian  —  Red  Mountain  formation   (Clinton) 

Pelham  limestone   (Trenton) 
Dolomite 


Ordovician-     _ 


Cambrian 


Coosa  shale 
Mcntevallo  formation 
Aldricb  limestone 
Weisner  sandstone 


Contempo- 
raneous. 
Ft.   Payne 
chert 


/Talladega  slates. 


Metamorphic 

and 
Igneous  rocks 


Metamorphic  Paleozoic  strata; 
Pennsylvanian  in  part 

C  Metamorphic  sediments  of  undetermined 


}\  C  Metamorphic  sediments 

Mshland  mica  schists  j  age>  probably  Paleozoic 


Igneous  rocks 


C  Granites,  diorites,  gneisses,  etc.,  of  several 
geg  (pre-Cambrian  and  Paleozoic) 


6  PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GEOLOGY  AND  CLIMATE. 

APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

The  main  characteristics  of  the  Appalachian  area  have  al- 
ready been  sketched.  Its  four  subdivisions'  will  now  be  taken 
up  more  in  detail,  especially  as  regards  the  topography  and  ge- 
ologic structure,  the  discussion  of  the  relation  of  these  to  the 
circulation  of  the  underground  waters  being-  left  to  another 
chapter. 

Talladega  Mountains  and  Ashland  Plateau,  (igneous  and 
metamorphic  rocks.) — These  two  sections'  correspond  with  the 
Blue  Ridge  and  the  Piedmont  plateau  of  Georgia  and  the 
States  to  the  northeast.  They  make  up  the  southeastern  half 
of  the  Appalachian  division,  embracing  part  or  all  of  Cleburne, 
Talladega,  Clay,  Coosa,  Chilton,  Elmore,  Tallapoosa,  Randolph, 
Chambers,  Lee,  and  Macon  counties.  The  rocks  are  all  more 
or  less  crystalline  in  texture  and  fall  into  two  general  classes : 
(i)massive  or  dike  rocks'  of  igneous  origin,  such  as  granite, 
diorite,  and  diabase;  and  (2)  metamorphic  or  schistose  rocks. 
The  latter  class  is  likewise  divided  into  two  divisions  according 
to  origin:  (a)  those  derived  from  igneous  rocks,  such  as  the 
gneisses,  the  hornblende  schists,  the  Hillabee  green  schists,  etc., 
(b)  and  those  derived  from  sediments,  such  as  the  feebly  crys- 
talline phyllites  of  the  Talladega  Mountains,  which  are  now 
known  to  be,  at  least  in  part,  of  the  age  of  the  Pennsylvanian 
series,  (Coal  Measures)  ;  the  more  fully  crystalline  mica-schists 
of  the  Ashland  Plateau;  and  the  quartzitesi  and  crystalline 
marbles  and  dolomites. 

The  planes  of  schistosity  of  these  rocks,  which  may  or  may 
not  coincide  with  original  bedding  planes,  have  in  Alabama  an 
almost  universal  dip  to  the  southeast,  giving  a  general  north- 
east-southwest direction  to  all  those  topographic  features  which 
are  due  to  the  differential  weathering  of  their  outcropping 
edges. 

The  Talladega  Mountains,  form  the  northwestern  part  of  this 
subdivision.  They  are  high,  generally  sharp-crested  ridges 
with  narrow,  often  gorgelike  valleys  between.  These  moun- 
tains have  an  altitude  of  2400  feet  above  sea  level  and  are  the 
highest  peaks  in  the  State.  From  this  elevated  land  the  country 
falls  off  rapidly  on  the  west  toward  the  great  Coosa  Valley,  and 
on  the  east  to  the  Ashland  Plateau.  The  latter  has  an  average 


GEOLOGY.  7 

elevation  above  the  sea  of  1000  feet.  The  plain-like  character 
of  this  plateau  is  evidently  the  result  of  erosion — "base-leveling" 
— and  is  not  due  to  the  horizontal  position  of  the  rocks',  as  is 
the  case  with  the  Cumberland  Plateau,  presently  to  be  described. 
The  surface  of  the  Ashland  Plateau  is  made  up  of  beveled-off 
edges  of  the  steeply  dipping  schists,  and  the  present  topo- 
graphic features  are  due  to  the  subsequent  elevation  of  this 
bas'eleveled  plain  and  the  dissection  of  its  mass  by  the  water- 
courses. 

The  recent  discovery  of  Carboniferous  fossils  on  the  eastern 
flank  of  the  Talladega  Mountain  range  where  it  merges  into 
the  Ashland  Plateau,  is  evidence  that  some,  at  least,  of  these 
metamorphic  rocks  are  of  Paleozoic  age.  The  southeastern 
half  of  the  Plateau  is  in  part  made  up  of  gneis'ses  and  mica- 
schists  which  are  apparently  older  than  the  schists  above  men- 
tioned. This  may  be  due,  however,  simply  to  a  greater  degree 
of  alteration.  Dikes  of  granite,  diorite,  gabbro,  and  other  types 
of  rock  generally  considered  to  be  of  unquestioned  igneous 
origin  are  sometimes  intruded  between  the  schists',  and  fre- 
quently across  them. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  Ashland  Plateau  these  dikes  in- 
tersect the  Paleozoic  schists  and  are,  therefore,  of  Paleozoic  or 
later  age.  In  the  eastern  part,  the  dikes  are  intruded  into  schists' 
of  possible  pre-Cambrian  age.  A  kind  of  metamorphosed  trap 
rock  or  greenstone  of  peculiar  character  has  been  traced  in  an 
irregular  line  of  outcrop  from  Chilton  County,  Alabama,  into 
Georgia.  This  has  been  called  the  Hillabee  Schist.  It  has  been 
observed  in  Alabama  only  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Talla- 
dega Mountain  range,  generally  separating  the  slates  of  the 
Talladega  Mountains  from  the  mica-schists  of  the  Ashland 
Plateau. 

Appalachian  Valleys  (Paleozoic  formations  below  the  Penn- 
sylvanian). — The  wide  valley  with  prevailing  calcareous  soils 
lying  between  the  Talladega  Mountains  on  the  east  and  Look- 
out Mountain  and  the  Coos'a  coal  field  on  the  west  has  received 
the  name  of  Coosa  Valley,  from  the  river  which  drains  it.  It 
is  the  continuation  and  terminus  of  the  Valley  of  East  Tennes- 
see and  the  Great  Valley  of  Virginia.  Cahaba  Valley  lies  be- 
tween the  Coosa  and  Cahaba  coal  fields;  Wills  Valley  occupies 
the  country  between  Lookout  and  Raccoon  mountains.  Both 


8  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

of  these  valleys  merge  into  the  Coosa  Valley  between  the  end 
of  Lookout  Mountain  and  the  Cahaba  coal  field.  Between  the 
Warrior  and  Cahaba  coal  fields  are  Shades  and  Jones'  valleys, 
the  latter  at  its  north  end  branching  into  Coosa  Valley  on  the 
one  hand  and  Murphrees  Valley  on  the  other.  Farther  west, 
lying  between  Raccoon  Mountain  on  the  east  and  the  Cumber- 
land Plateau  on  the  west,  is  Browns  or  Blount  Springs  Valley, 
the  prolongation  in  Alabama  of  the  Sequatchee  Valley  of  Ten- 
nessee. In  structure  all  these  valleys  are  anticlinal — that  is, 
they  have  been  eroded  out  of  the  crests  of  the  long,  narrow 
folds  into  which  the  strata  have  been  bent  by  the  compressing 
force  acting  from  the  southeast.  With  the  exception  of  Mur- 
phrees Valley,  these  folds  were  lapped  over  toward  the  north- 
west and  so  have  their  steeper  slopes  on  that  side,  while  the 
gentle  slope  is  toward  the  southeast.  In  Murphrees  Valley  the 
reverse  is  the  case,  the  steeper  slope  being  on  the  southeast  side. 
The  erosion  to  which  these  arches  have  been  subjected  has  re- 
moved their  crests,  leaving  only  the  remnants  of  the  upbent 
strata  to  show  by  their  position  the  original  structure. 

In  the  Coosa  Valley  the  structure  is  more  complex.  It  is 
not  a  single  anticlinal  fold,  but  rather  a  series  of  folds,  closely 
compressed,  overlapping  toward  the  northwest,  and  complicated 
by  faulting  and  over-riding  of  the  broken  j>arts.  Most  of  the 
present  strata  are  the  remnants  of  these  folds'.  They  have  in 
consequence  a  very  general  dip  toward  the  southeast.  In  the 
other  valleys  the  structure  is  more  simple,  since  there  is  but  a 
single  arch,  which  is  nearly  always,  broken  or  faulted  on  the 
northwest  side,  (on  the  southeast  side  in  Murphrees  Valley.) 

The  steep  dips  above  alluded  to  are  always  on  the  faulted 
side.  By  reason  of  the  faulting,  some  of  the  strata  are  cut  out 
and  do  not  appear  as  they  should  in  a  normal  anticline. 

The  geologic  formations  occurring  in  these  valleys1  range 
from  the  lowest  Cambrian  up  to  the  Pennsylvanian  series,  the 
latter,  however,  affecting  the  valley  making  only  in  the  sense 
that  it  makes  the  summits  of  the  bordering  mountains.  The 
most  prominent 'of  these  formations  is  the  Knox  dolomite,  a 
massive  calcareous  rock  which  generally  occupies  the  central 
portions  of  the  valleys.  There  are  also  other  important  lime- 
stones and  calcareous  shales,  of  Cambrian  age,  which  form  the 
floors  of  parts  of  these  valleys,  especially  of  the  Coosa.  All 
these  limestones  are  interbedded  with  sandstones  and  chert, 


GEOLOGY.  9 

which  stand  out  as  subordinate  ridges'  that  diversify  all  the  val- 
leys. The  Coosa  Valley  is  thus  a  great  trough,  30  miles  wide, 
fluted  with  scores  of  parallel  smaller  valleys  and  ridges.  The 
other  valleys  mentioned  are  of  similar  nature,  but  have  less 
of  these  minor  features'. 

The  Weisner  sandstone  occurs,  so  far  as  the  writer  has  ob- 
served, in  the  Coosa  Valley  region  only.  It  is  a  veritable  moun- 
tain-making formation,  appearing  most  prominently  in  the 
range  that  extends  from  Alpine  Mountain,  near  Coosa  River, 
northeastward  by  Talladega,  Oxford,  and  Anniston  and  on  part 
Jacksonville  into  Georgia.  The  sandstones  of  the  Red  Moun- 
tain (Clinton)  formation,  as  well  as  those  of  Mississippian  se- 
ries (Lower  Carboniferous,)  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
Coosa  Valley,  form  a  number  of  well-defined  ridges.  The  sili- 
ceous or  cherty  parts'  of  two  of  the  limestone  formations — the 
Knox  dolomite  and  the  Lauderdale  make  prominent  flint  ridges 
in  all  the  valleys;  the  Lauderdale  also  caps  the  Red  Mountain 
(Clinton)  ridges  of  the  smaller  valleys.  A  great  body  of  cal- 
careous shales  and  shaly  limestones,  appears  in  the  "Flatwoods" 
of  the  Coosa  Valley,  extending  from  the  Georgia  line  on  both 
sides'  of  the  river  down  to  Gadsden  and  thence  farther  south- 
westward  toward  the  north  end  of  the  Cahaba  coal  field.  These 
are  the  Coosa  and  Montevallo  shales  of  Cambrian  age. 

The  Pelham  (Trenton)  and  Bangor  limestones  are  of  less 
importance  in  the  valley  making,  though  each  is  found  in  the 
subordinate  troughs  of  the  greater  valleys.  Shades  Valley, 
which  has  been  formed  mainly  out  of  the  Bangor  limestone,  lies 
between  Red  Mountain,  east  of  Birmingham,  and  Shades 
Mountain,  the  western  escarpment  of  the  Cahaba  coal  field,  and 
forms  a  very  important  topographic  feature  of  that  section. 

These  great  valley  regions  are  of  extreme  importance  to  Ala- 
bama from  the  fact  that  they  contain  the  "iron  ores,  bauxites, 
limestones,  shales  and  clays,  all  of  which  have  played  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  development  of  the  State. 

Coal  fields  (P  ennsylvanian  series.) — The  coal  fields  are  four 
in  number — the  Coosa,  Cahaba,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  War- 
rior. They  are  separated  from  one  another  by  long,  narrow  an- 
ticlinal valleys  above  described.  Structurally  they  are  troughs 
or  synclines  between  these  anticlines.  In  a  general  way  it 
may  be  remarked  that  the  synclinal  troughs  were  much  wider 


10  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

than  the  anticlinal  ridges,  and  that,  away  from  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  these  uplifts,  the  strata  of  the  coal  fields  are  far  less 
disturbed  than  are  those  of  the  adjacent  valleys,  retaining  in 
general  their  original  nearly  horizontal  position.  By  reference 
to  the  geological  map  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  expanse  of  near- 
ly horizontal  strata  of  the  coal  becomes  gradually  wider  and 
wider  to  the  west  and  that  the  upward-bent  wrinkles  of  the 
valleys  are  correspondingly  narrower  and  farther  apart.  In  the 
Coosa  and  Cahaba  fields  the  syncline  is  unsymmetrical.  Its 
axis  lies  close  to  its'  southeastern  edge,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  strata  on  the  western  side  of  the  synclinal  axis,  embracing 
the  greater  part  of  the  field,  have  a  gentle  southeasterly  dip. 
On  the  eastern  side  they  are  sharply  upturned,  at  times  verti- 
cal, and  give  to  these  fields  the  appearance  of  being  mono- 
clines. Cross'  folds  of  minor  character  divide  both  these  fields 
into  several  smaller  basins.  Lookout  Mountain  is  a  shallow 
synclinal  trough  well  elevated  above  the  valleys  on  each  side 
of  it.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Raccoon  Mountain,  which  forms 
the  northern  and  northeastern  parts  of  the  Warrior  field. 
Raccoon  Mountain  is  capped  by  the  Pennsylvanian  rocks'  and 
presents  steep  escarpments  to  the  bordering  valleys.  That  part 
of  these  fields  in  which  the  flat- topped  summits  of  the  highlands 
are  capped  with  Pennsylvanian  rocks,  has  been  called  the  "pla- 
teau region."  Across  Tennessee  River,  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  State,  these  plateaus  are  known  as  the  spurs  of  the  Cum- 
berlands.  In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  Warrior  field,  how- 
ever, the  strata  of  the  Pennsylvanian  series  are  found  at  levels 
ranging  from  that  of  the  general  drainage  to  far  below  it.  This 
part  of  the  field  has  been  called  the  "basin  region."  It  is'  evi- 
dent that  in  the  plateau  region  only  the  lower  strata  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  series  are  present,  while  in  the  basin  region  we 
may  have,  and  in  its  routhwect  end  do  have,  the  entire  thickness 
of  these  rocks.  The  principal  coal-mining  districts  are  thus  to 
be  found  in  the  western  or  southwestern  parts  of  these  fields, 
especially  in  the  Warrior  and  Cahaba,  and  less  conspicuously 
in  the  Coosa.  The  Lookout  field  is  wholly  in  the  plateau  region. 

Valley  of  the  Tennessee,  (Mississippian  series}. — The  area 
included  under  this  head  is  naturally  divisible  into  two  parts, 
the  first  including  the  region  east  of  Huntsville,  bordered  by 
the  Cumberland  mountains  on  the  one  side  and  Sand  Mountain 


GEOLOGY.  11 

on  the  other.  The  second  part  embraces  the  valley  west  of 
Huntsville  to  the  Mississippi  State  line. 

From  the  northeast  corner  of  the  State  down  to  Guntersville, 
the  river  is  confined  to  a  long  narrow  trough,  known  in  Ten- 
nessee as  the  Sequatchee  Valley,  and  in  Alabama  as  Browns 
or  Big  Spring  Valley.  Below  Guntersville  the  river  flows  in  a 
northwest  direction  along  a  narrow,  often  gorge-like  valley 
through  the  Cumberland  Plateau  to  about  the  Meridian  of 
Huntsville.  It  here  emerges  into  the  broad  and  open  valley 
which  is  usually  referred  to  as  the  Valley  of  the  Tennessee. 

The  geologic  formations  of  this  lower  stretch  of  the  river 
are  the  Bangor  (Chester)  limestone  with  its  interstratified  sand- 
stones', lying  in  general  south  of  the  river,  while  the  country 
to  the  north  is  made  by  the  siliceous  limestones  of  the  Tuscum- 
bia  (St.  Louis),  the  Lauderdale,  and  other  members  of  the 
Mississippian  series  below  the  Bangor.  These  strata,  while 
almost  horizontal,  have  yet  a  perceptible  dip  to  the  south.  The 
river  crosses  them  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  the  dip,  giving  a 
Coastal  Plain  type  of  topography.  The  river  itself  occupies 
a  broad  trough  in  the  Tuscumbia  limestones,  while  on  both  sides 
are  erosion  ridges,  with  steep  northward-facing  slopes  and  gen- 
tle structural  slopes  on  the  south.  North  of  the  river  these 
ridges  are  formed  by  the  siliceous  parts  of  the  limestones.  On 
the  south  the  principal  east-west  ridge,  known  as  Little  Moun- 
tain, owes  its  existence  to  one  of  the  intercalated  sandstones  in 
the  Bangor  limestone.  Moulton  Valley  lies  between  Little 
Mountain  and 'Raccoon  Mountain.  The  Tennessee  Valley,  like 
the  Coosa  Valley,  is  a  complex  trough  fluted  with  narrow  par- 
allel ridges  and  subordinate  valleys.  Back  from  the  river  the 
red  residual  soils  form  some  of  the  finest  farming  lands  in  the 
State.  The  cherty  portions  of  the  limestone  from  which  these 
soils  are  derived  remain  as  low  rocky  knolls  which  support  a 
fine  growth  of  oaks.  The  houses  of  the  planters  are  usually 
located  on  these  knolls.  In  the  more  broken  part  of  the  valley, 
between  the  immediate  lowlands  of  the  river  and  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  State,  the  large  proportion  of  siliceous  matter 
in  the  limestones  makes'  the  soils  in  general  inferior  to  those  of 
the  river  plain. 


12          PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY,-  GEOLOGY  AND  CLIMATE. 
COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

The  two  fundamental  systems  of  the  Coastal  Plain  are  the 
Cretaceous  and  Tertiary.  They  consist  of  interstratified  beds 
of  sand,  clay,  limestone,  and  marls,  with  their  admixtures. 
These  beds  have  an  average  dip  toward  the  Mississippi  embay- 
ment  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  ranging  from  30  to  40  feet  to 
the  mile.  The  surface  of  the  Coastal  Plain  as  a  whole  falls  away 
in  the  same  direction,  but  at  a  much  less  rapid  rate — about  I 
foot  to  the  mile — so  that  in  going  southward  from  the  Appa- 
lachian area  we  pass  in  succession  over  the  beveled  edges  of 
thes'e  formations  from  the  oldest  to  the  newest.  Each  of  these 
formations,  with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  Miocene  and 
Pliocene,  occupies  the  surface  in  a  belt  proportional  in  width  to 
its  thickness  and  running  approximately  east  and  west  across 
the  State. 

After  the  close  of  Tertiary  time  there  was  deposited  a  blanket 
formation  which  is  of  great  importance  in  the  Coastal  Plain. 
It  is  known  as  the  Lafayette  formation,  and  is  a  mantle  of  red- 
dish and  light-colored  loams  and  sands,  with  frequent  beds  of 
waterworn  pebbles  in  the  lower  parts.  It  has  an  average  thick- 
ness of  25  to  30  feet  and  formerly  covered  the  entire  area  of 
the  Coastal  Plain.  It  rests'  unconformably  on  the  older  for- 
mations following  the  topography  in  general  very  closely, 
though  in  many  large  areas  it  has  been  in  great  part  removed 
by  erosion.  As  a  consequence  this  formation  makes  perhaps 
four-fifths  of  the  cultivated  soils  of  the  whole  plain,  and  its  sig- 
nificance in  relation  to  the  underground  waters,  which  appear 
in  springs  and  shallow  wells,  cannot  well  be  overestimated. 

The  characteristics  of  the  several  divisions  of  the  Creta- 
ceous, Tertiary,  and  Quaternary  systems  will  here  be  reviewed 
in  a  general  way,  many  details  being  left  for  consideration  in 
connection  with  their  relations  to  the  underground  water  supply. 

The  combined  thickness  of  the  Cretaceous  formations  in 
Alabama  has  been  estimated  to  be  about  2500  feet ;  that  of  the 
Tertiary  formations  classed  as  Eocene  in  the  table,  about  1800 
feet.  The  thickness  of  the  post-Eocene  strata  can  not  yet  be 
stated  with  much  certainty,  though  in  some  deep  borings  at 
Mobile,  Miocene  shells  found  at  a  depth  of  over  1500  feet. 


GEOLOGY.  13 

CRETACEOUS. 

The  Cretaceous  system  in  Alabama  includes  four  formations 
which  are,  in  as'cending  order : 

(1)  The  Tuscaloosa,    a  formation    of  freshwater     origin, 
made  up  in  the  main  of  sands  and  clays  in  many  alternations. 

(2)  The  Eutaw,  a  formation  of  marine  origin,  composed  of 
s'ands  and  clays  more  or  less  calcareous,  but  nowhere  showing- 
beds  of  hard  limestone. 

(3)  The  Selma  Chalk,  likewise  of  marine  origin,  a  great 
calcareous  formation  of  the  nature  of  chalk,  with  varying  ad- 
mixtures of  clay  and  other  impurities'. 

(4)  The  Ripley,  also  a  marine  formation  in  which  the  cal- 
careous constituents  generally  predominate,  but  in  parts  con- 
taining sandy  or  clayey  beds. 

None  of  these  formations  .greatly  affects  the  topography  or 
has  marked  lithologic  characters  except  the  Selma  chalk.  This 
underlies  a 'belt  entering  the  State  from  Mississippi  and  ex- 
tending eastward  with  an  average  width  of  20  to  25  miles',  to  a 
short  distance  beyond  Montgomery,  where  its  distinctive  char- 
acters are  lost  or  merged  into  those  of  the  "blue-marl  region," 
to  be  more  particularly  treated  later.  The  somewhat  uniform 
composition  of  the  Selma  chalk  has  caused  it  to  be  more  deeply 
and  evenly  wasted  by  erosion  and  solution  than  the  more  sandy 
formations  north  and  south  of  it.  As  a  consequence,  its'  out- 
crop is  in  the  shape  of  a  trough,  with  a  gently  undulating,  al- 
most unbroken  surface  except  where  remnants  of  the  once  con- 
tinuous Lafayette  mantle  have  protected  the  underlying  lime- 
stone from  erosion  and  have  thus  formed  knobs  and  ridges 
capped  with  its  loams  and  pebbles. 

In  this  belt,  more  than  in  any  other  of  the  Coastal  Plain,  the 
s'oils  show  their  residuary  character.  They  are,  as  a  rule, 
highly  calcareous  clays  and,  where  much  mixed  with  organic 
matters,  of  black  color.  Throughout  this  section  are  areas  orig- 
inally destitute  of  trees  and  hence  known  as  "prairies".  From 
the  agricultural  point  of  view,  the  Selma  chalk  or  black  belt  is 
the  most  highly  favored  part  of  the  State  and,  apart  from  the 
cities,  holds  the  densest  population. 


14  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

The  Eutaw  and  Tuscaloosa  formations  outcropping  north  of 
the  prairie  or  Selma  chalk  belt,  show  no  marked  topographic 
features'.  The  relatively  broken  and  uneven  topography  of  the 
Tuscaloosa  area  results  largely  from  the  preponderance  of 
loose  or  slightly  indurated  sands  with  subordinate  beds  of  plastic 
clay  in  the  formation.  The  general  absence  of  lime  and  phos- 
phate from  the  strata  causes  comparatively  poor  soils.  The 
most  important  features  of  s'ome  parts  of  this  territory  are,  or 
rather  were,  the  grand  forests  of  long-leaf  pine,  now  practically 
exhausted.  The  surface  of  the  Eutaw  belt  is  generally  smoother 
than  that  of  the  Tuscaloosa,  and  the  calcareous  character  of 
many  of  the  sandy  and  clayey  beds  insures  greater  fertility. 

The  Ripley  formation,  south  of  the  Selma  area,  has  many 
features  in  common  with  the  Eutaw,  and  while  prevalently 
sandy,  it  yet  contains  a  very  considerable  proportion  of  lime- 
stone and  calcareous  clays. 

As  has  been  intimated  above,  the  Selma  chalk  seems  to  give 
out  a  short  distance  east  of  Montgomery,  and  the  whole  ma- 
rine Cretaceous  section  takes  on  a  very  uniform  lithologic  char- 
acter, being  composed  in  the  main  of  a  bluish  sandy  marl  in 
which  scales  and  flakes'  of  mica  are  numerous.  The  lower  beds 
of  the  blue  marl  might  perhaps  be  discriminated  from  the  rest 
by  the  presence  of  certain  fossils  of  the  Eutaw  horizon.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  however,  the  three  marine  Creta- 
ceous formations,  so  clearly  distinct  in  the  western  part,  are 
represented  by  a  series  of  beds  of  rather  uniform  lithologic 
character,  though  perhaps  sufficiently  distinct  in  their  fossils. 

TERTIARY. 

EOCENE. 

In  the  western  half  of  the  State,  in  the  vicinity  of  Alabama 
and  Tombigbee  rivers,  the  succession  and  thickness  of  the 
strata  from  the  base  of  the  Tertiary  up  to  the  top  of  the  St. 
Stephens  limestone,  have  been  ascertained  with  a  considerable 
degree  of  accuracy.  Eastward  to  the  Chattahoochee,  less  work 
has  been  done,  but  the  formations  have  been  fairly  well  studied 
and  their  succession  and  thickness  along  the  Chattahoochee  are 
also  very  well  established,  chiefly  by  the  work  of  Mr.  D.  W. 
Langdon.  These  strata,  which  are  usually  classed  as  Eocene, 
have  a  thickness  of  about  1800  feet  and  present  the  following 
characteristics : 


GEOLOGY.  15 

MIDWAY  GROUP. 

Clayton  limestone. — At  the  base  of  the  Tertiary  is  found  an 
impure  limestone,  thin  and  inconspicuous  in  western  Alabama, 
but  thickening  to  the  east  until  on  Chattahoochee  River  it  in- 
cludes fully  200  feet  of  alternating  calcareous  sands  and  lime- 
stones. This  formation  is  called  the  Clayton  limestone. 

Sucarnochee  clay. — Next  above  the  Clayton  there  is,  along 
Tombigbee  River,  a  series  of  black  or  dark-brown  clays  at 
least  100  feet  thick.  This  formation  is  also  well  exposed  at 
Black  Bluff  on  Tombigbee,  and  on  Sucarnochee  River,  and 
has  been  called  Sucarnochee.  At  Black  Bluff  and  sparingly  at 
a  few  other  points  these  clays  are  fos^siliferous.  While  nearly 
devoid  of  lime  in  the  Tombigbee  drainage,  except  in  the  lower- 
most strata,  the  clays  become  more  and  more  calcareous  to  the 
east,  and  in  Wilcox  county,  east  of  Alabama  River,  they  form 
the  basis  of  some  fine  black  prairie  lands'.  The  formation  east 
of  Wilcox  County  has  not  been  traced. 

Naheola  formation  (Matthews  Landing.) — Next  above  the 
Sucarnochee  clays  is  the  Naheola  formation,  embracing  150 
feet  or  more  of  gray  sandy  clays,  with  some  beds  of  dark  sandy 
glauconitic  clay  contaaining  marine  fossils  near  the  base.  To 
the  east  this  formation  appears  to  die  out  and  it  is  not  found  ex- 
posed on  Chattahoochee  River. 

CHICKASAW    (WILCOX)     GROUP. 

Between  the  top  of  the  Sucarnochee  clay  and  the  base  of  the 
Tallahatta  buhrstone  lies  a  group  which  Dr.  Hilgard,  in  his  re- 
port on  the  Geology  of  Mississippi,  called  the  Lignitic. 

The  term  LaGrange  was  used  by  Dr.  Safford  of  Tennessee, 
to  include  a  portion  of  the  beds  originally  termed  Lignitic  by 
Hilgard.  LaGrange.  is  a  locality  name  and  would  doubtless 
have  stood  but  for  the  fact  that  Safford  included  in  it  the  La- 
fayette (Orange  Sand),  and  a  portion  of  the  Cretaceous.  The 
name  Lignitic  being  also  deemed  inadmissible,  because  descrip- 
tive, the  term  Chickasaw,  from  the  Chickasaw  Bluffs  near  Mem- 
phis, was  proposed  by  Dr.  Hilgard  and  Prof.  Dall  as  a  substi- 
tute, to  include  the  beds  grouped  by  Hilgard  under  the  term 
Lignitic,  excluding  what  he  termed  the  Flatwoods  belt.  In  this 


16          PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GEOLOGY  AND  CLIMATE. 

sense  the  name  was  duly  accepted  by  the  geologists  and  has  been 
used  by  Prof.  Dall  and  others  since  1895.  Some  objection 
seems  to  have  arisen  to  this  name  also,  and  in  a  recently  pub- 
lished report,  by  Messrs.  Eckel,  Crider  and  Johnson,  on  the 
Underground  Water  Resources  of  Mississippi*  the  term  Wil- 
cox,  from  Wilcox  County,  Alabama,  where  these  beds  are 
characteristically  developed,  is  substituted  for  Chickasaw,  and 
embraces  the  Nanafalia,  the  Tuscahoma,  the  Bashi,  and  the 
Hatchetigbee  formations.  In  the  present  Report  the  accepted 
term  Chickasaw  is  retained  for  this  group  with  the  alternative 
of  Wilcox  in  case  the  objection  to  the  former  name  proves  to 
be  well  founded. 

This  is  the  most  massive  of  these  divisions,  having  a  thick- 
nes's  which  is  probably  not  less  than  900  feet.  It  also  presents 
a  great  variety  in  lithologic  character  and  in  fossil  contents. 
In  the  most  general  terms  the  Chickasaw  or  Wilcox  strata  are 
cross-bedded  sands,  thin-bedded  or  laminated  sands,  laminated 
clays,  and  clayey  s'ands,  with  beds  of  lignite  and  lignitic  matter 
which  merely  colors  the  sands  and  clays'.  With  these  are  found 
interbedded  at  several  horizons  strata  containing  marine  and 
estuarine  fossils.  The  fossil-bearing  beds1  form  the  basis  for 
the  separation  of  this  group  into  four  formations,  given  in 
some  detail  below. 

Nanafalia  formation  (Coal  Bluff.} — The  Nanafalia  overlies1 
the  Naheola,  and  maintains  a  tolerably  uniform  thickness  of 
about  200  feet  entirely  across  the  State.  These  beds  are  mostly 
sandy,  but  contain  great  numbers  of  the  shells'  of  a  small  oys- 
ter, Gryphoea  thirsae.  Near  Alabama  River  and  for  a  short 
distance  to  the  east,  a  gray  siliceous  clay  with  a  tendency  to 
indurate  into  a  tolerably  firm  rock  resembling  very  closely  some 
of  the  strata  of  the  Tallahatta  buhrstone  of  the  Claiborne  group, 
presently  to  be  described,  is  a  characteristic  feature  of  the  whole 
section.  At  the  base  of  the  oyster-shell  beds  there  are,  at  cer- 
tain localities,  other  fossiliferous  beds  containing  a  great  va- 
riety of  forms. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  Nanafalia  formation  there  is  a  bed  of 
lignite,  5  to  7  feet  thick,  which  may  be  traced  across  the  country 
from  Tombigbee  River  into  Pike  County,  where  it  is'  well  ex- 
posed near  Glenwood  station,  not  far  from  Troy. 


*Water  Supply  Paper,  No.  159,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


GEOLOGY.  1 7 

The  Nanafalia  sands  will  be  considered  again  in  another 
chapter  in  connection  with  the  underground  water  supply  of 
some  parts  of  the  State. 

Tuscahoma  formation  (Bells  Landing.) — These  beds  are 
about  140  feet  thick  and  consist  mainly  of  gray  and  yellow 
cross-bedded  sands  and  sandy  clays,  generally  poor  in  fos'sils 
except  Pt  one  horizon,  which  is  typically  exposed  at  the  locali- 
ties from  which  the  two  names  above  have  been  taken. 

Dashi  formation  (Woods  Bluff). — Above  the  Tuscahoma  is 
the  B?shi  which  averages  perhaps  80  feet  in  thickness.  It  is 
composed  of  the  sands  and  sandy  clays  common  in  the  Tertiary. 
It  is  distinguished  by  a  characteristic  bed  of  highly  fossiliferous 
greensand  with  associated  beds  of  lignite  immediately  below  it. 
By  these  features  the  Bashi  may  be  easily  identified  across  the 
width  of  the  State. — The  best  exposure  of  the  fossiliferous 
green  sands  of  this  formation  is  at  Woods  Bluff  on  Tombigbee 
river. 

Hatchetigbee  formation. — /The  uppermost  formation  of  the 
Wilcox  group  is  composed  of  beds  of  brown,  purple,  and  gray 
laminated  sandy  clays  and  cross-bedded  sands  abounding  in 
characteristic  fossils.  It  is  about  175  feet  thick  in  the  vicinity 
of  Tombigbee  River,  but  it  thins  to  the  east,  though  otherwise 
maintaining  its  distinctive  character.  These  beds  have  been 
name-!  Hatchetigbee,  from  a  bluff  on  Tombigbee  River.  They 
will  be  referred  to  again  in  the  discussion  of  the  underground 
waters. 

CLAIBORNE   GROUP. 

Between  the  Chickasaw  group  and  the  base  of  the  St.  Steph- 
ens limestone  lie  the  strata  of  the  Claiborne  group  easily  divi- 
sible in  Alabama,  into  three  formations',  the  lower  being  the 
Tall?hatta  Buhrstone,  the  middle  being  the  Lisbon  formation 
and  the  upper,  the  Gosport  Greensand. 

Tallahatta  buhrstone. — In  the  western  part  of  the  State  the 
most  prominent  rocks  of  this  formation  are  aluminous  sand- 
stones or  siliceous  claystones.     They  vary  slightly  in  composi- 
tion, but  are  always'  poor  in  fossils  except  the  microscopic  sili- 
2 


18  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

ceous  shells  of  marine  diatoms  and  radiolaria.  To  the  east 
the  percentage  of  clay  decreases,  the  rocks  become  more  cal- 
careous, and  the  fossils  are  more  abundant,  and  in  place  of  the 
silicified  shell  casts  of  the  Tombigbee  and  Alabama  drainage 
basins  are  extensive  beds  of  s'hells,  mostly  oyster  shells.  The 
thickness  of  the  buhrstone  varies  from  400  feet  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State  to  200  feet  in  the  eastern  part.  In  the  wes- 
tern part  of  Alabama  and  still  more  in  Mississippi,  beds  of  fos- 
siliferous green  sand  are  abundant  in  both  the  Tallahatta  and 
in  the  Lisbon  strata  of  the  Claiborne.  The  decay  of  the  green- 
sands  has  in  many  places  given  rise  to  the  accumulation  of  de- 
posits of  brown  iron  ore  which  may  some  day  have  a  commer- 
cial value.  The  Tallahatta  Buhrstone  as  here  denned  is  the 
equivalent  of  the  Siliceous  Claiborne  of  Hilgard. 

The  Lisbon  Formation. — Between  the  Buhrstone  and  the  base 
of  the  Gosport  greensand  are  the  Lisbon  beds  consisting  of 
about  115  feet  of  calcareous  clayey  sands  and  sandy  clays  gen- 
erally fossiliferous. 

The  lower  half  of  these  beds'  contains  a  great  number  and  va- 
riety of  well  preserved  shells;  in  the  upper  half  the  shells  of 
ostrea  sellaeformis  and  several  species  of  pecten  greatly  pre- 
ponderate over  other  forms.  The  most  characteristic  exposures 
in  Alabama  of  thes'e  beds,  which  are  the  equivalents  of  Hilgard's 
Calcareous  Claiborne,  are  at  the  Claiborne  and  Lisbon  Bluffs 
on  the  Alabama  river. 

The  Gosport  Greensand. — This  division,  which,  so  far  as"  yet 
known,  does  not  appear  in  any  other  of  the  Gulf  States, 
embraces  the  strata  of  the  Claiborne  group  lying  between  the 
top  of  the  Lisbon,  and  the  base  of  the  St.  Stephens.  The  beds 
are  in  general  highly  glauconitic  sands  about  thirty  feet  in 
thickness  at  the  Claiborne  and  Gosport  bluffs  and  include  the 
fossiliferous  greensands  which  have  made  the  name  Claiborne 
famous,  and  which  have  furnished  the  greater  part  of  the 
Claiborne  fossils  described  and  figured  by  Conrad  and  Lea. 
While  this  division,  as  above  mentioned,  is  not  known  in  Miss- 
issippi, Louisiana  or  Texas,  yet  its  importance  in  Alabama,  from 
the  historical  point  of  view  and  because  of  the  great  number  and 
variety  and  beautiful  state  of  preservation  of  its  fossils,  is 
such  as  to  compel  mention  and  a  distinct  name.  This  member 


GEOLOGY.  19 

of  the  Claiborne  group  has  been  observed  at  a  number  of  local- 
ities in  Monroe,  Clarke,  Choctaw  and  Washington  counties. 
The  name  is  from  Gosport  a  landing  on  the  Alabama  river  a 
few  miles  below  the  Claiborne  Bluff. 

St.  Stephens  limestone. — Above  the  Claiborne,  and  constitu- 
ting the  uppermost  member  of  the  Eocene  in  Alabama,  is  the 
St.  Stephens  limestone,  equivalent  in  part  to  the  Vicksburg  lime- 
stone ^nd  in  part  to  the  Jackson  limestone  of  Mississippi.  In 
Alabama  these  two  formations  blend  so  completely  that  it  has 
been  impossible  to  draw  clearly  the  line  of  demarkation  between 
them,  and  the  St.  Stephens  is  therefore  intended  to  include  the 
Alabama  representatives  of  both.  Immediately  overlying  the 
Claiborne  fossiliferous  sands,  at  many  points  in  Clarke,  Choc- 
taw,  and  Washington  counties,  is  an  argillaceous  limestone 
closely  resembling  the  Selma  chalk  and  like  it  giving  rise  to 
rich  black  limy  soils.  The  fossils  of  this  bed  show  that  it  is 
probably  of  Jackson  age,  but  the  great  mass  of  the  St.  Stephens 
formation,  between  200  and  300  feet  thick,  consists  of  a  lime- 
stone of  a  considerable  degree  of  purity  in  which  the  ever  pres- 
ent fossil  is  a  nummulitic  shell,  Orbitoides  lyelli.  Other  shells 
also  abound,  but  this  is  characteristic.  This  limestone  shows 
many  variations,  being  in  s'ome  cases  hard,  almost  crystalline, 
capable  of  a  high  polish,  of  a  pleasing  variety  of  color,  and 
hence  probably  well  adapted  for  ornamental  construction.  Com- 
monly, however,  the  rock  is  soft  and  easily  cut  with  a  saw,  axe, 
or  plane  when  fresh  from  the  quarry,  and  it  is  much  used  in  the 
construction  of  chimneys  and  pillars  to  houses.  On  this  ac- 
count it  is  well  known  from  Texas  to  Florida  as  the  "chimney 
rock."  In  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State  and  in  Georgia 
this  limestone  has  frequently  become  silicified,  and  great  masses 
of  it  appear  to  have  all  of  the  lime  replaced  by  silica.  The 
bones,  particularly  the  vertebrae,  of  an  extinct  whale,  Zeuglo- 
don,  are  in  some  localities  abundant  in  the  lower  (Jackson)  di- 
vision. 

Topographic  features  of  the  Eocene. — In  general  it  may  be 
said  that  the  part  of  the  State  in  which  the  Eocene  strata  occur 
is  a  gently  sloping  plain  into  which  the  streams  have  sunk  their 
valleys,  leaving  between  them  remnants  of  the  original  mass  as 
hills.  Two  or  three  formations  of  the  groups  impress  them- 


20  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,    GEOLOGY    AND    CLIMATE. 

selves  on  the  soils  and  the  topography  more  forcibly  than  the 
others.  The  first  of  thes'e  is  the  great  bed  of  black  clays  of  the 
Sucarnochee  horizon,  underlying  a  belt  of  country  known  west 
of  Alabama  River  as  the  "Flatwoods"  or  "Post  Oaks."  East 
of  this  river  these  clays  are  strongly  calcareous  and  give  rise 
to  black  prairie  soils.  The  Flatwoods  proper  constitute  a  sort 
of  trough  5  or  6  miles  wide,  badly  drained  and  little  cultivated, 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  s'mall  post-oaks  and  short-leaf  pine. 
During  wet  weather  the  Flatwoods  have  all  the  characferistics, 
of  a  swamp.  Along  the  northern  border  of  this  belt  the  clays 
are  often  highly  calcareous,  and  the  transition  from  the  limy 
Cretaceous  formations  to  the  tough  plastic  clays  of  the  genuine 
Flatwoods  is  very  gradual. 

The  next  member  of  topographic  importance  is  the  Nanafalia 
especially  in  that  part  of  the  State  west  of  the  drainage  area 
of  Alabama  River.  In  this  section  there  is  a  considerable  thick- 
ness of  indurated  clayey  sands — sandstones,  in  fact — overlying 
the  oyster-shell  bed.  This  gives  rise  to  a  very  broken  and  hilly 
country,  as  shown  in  the  Grampian  Hills  of  Wilcox  County.  In 
the  eastern  part  of  the  State  there  are  many  "sinks"  and  big 
springs  in  the  Nanafalia  territory. 

Farther  south  the  outcrop  of  the  Tallahatta  buhrstone,  es- 
pecially in  the  western  half  of  the  State,  makes  veritable  moun- 
tains, often  rising  with  steep  northwardfacing  slopes  200  feet 
or  more  above  the  adjacent  lowlands.  In  Clarke  and  Choctaw 
counties,  and  in  still  greater  degree  in  Mississippi,  these  buhr- 
stone mountains,  with  their  rocky  slopes,  remind  one  of  the  Ap- 
palachian region. 

In  the  eastern  counties  the  Clayton  limestone  acquires  ex- 
ceptional thickness,  200  feet  or  more,  and  shows  the  character- 
istics of  limestone  terranes'  such  as  caves,  lime  sinks,  and  "big 
springs."  The  St.  Stephens  limestone  also  gives  rise  to  broken 
country  with  characteristic  caves  and  other  features.  Along 
the  northern  edge  of  this  (St.  Stephens)  outcrop  the  strong, 
limy,  black  soils  formed  by  the  clayey  limestone  resemble  the 
black  prairie  s'oils  of  the  Selma  chalk,  but  the  topography  of 
tr-e  country  offers  strong  contrast — in  the  chalk,  softly  undula- 
ting, almost  level  lands ;  in  the  lower  St.  Stephens,  exceedingly 
broken  and  deeply  eroded  lands,  justifying  the  name  "lime 
hills." 


GEOLOGY.  2 1 

As  has  been  indicated  above,  the  trunk  streams  of  the  Ala- 
bama Coastal  Plain  flow  across  the  outcropping  strata,  while 
their  tributaries  flow  in  general  parallel  to  the  strike  of  these 
outcrops.  In  the  gradual  sinking  of  the  beds  of  these  tributary 
streams  the  characteristic  Coastal  Plain  topography  is  devel- 
oped ;  the  infacing  slopes  of  the  hills  are  precipitous,  while  the 
gulfward  slopes  are  gentle.  The  streams  have  their  place  gen- 
erally at  the  base  of  the  steep  infacing  slopes. 

MIOCENE. 
CHATTAHOOCHEE  SERIES. 

In  1889  Mr.  D.  W.  Langdon  of  the  Alabama.  Geological  Sur- 
vey, discovered  on  Chattahoochee  River  a  new  series  of  marine 
calcareous  formations  of  Miocene  age,  overlying  the  Vicksburg 
limestone.  This  series  he  called  the  Chattahoochee  from  the 
town  and  landing  of  that  name. 

With  the  exception  of  some  sandy  clays  on  Conecuh  River, 
which  hold  a  few  poorly  preserved  fossils  of  the  Chattahoochee 
horizon,  none  of  these  beds  has'  up  to  the  present  time  been 
found  to  outcrop  in  Alabama,  for  the  reason  that  the  section 
of  the  state  in  which  these  outcrops'  would  normally  occur  is 
covered  with  a  thick  mantle  of  two  superficial  formations,  the 
Grand  Gulf  and  the  Lafayette.  In  addition  to  this  that  portion 
of  the  region  contiguous  to  Mobile  river  in  which  we  should 
expect  to  find  the  outcrops,  is  of  the  nature  of  a  delta  with  low 
alluvial  banks.  It  is  safe,  however,  to  say  that  these  Chatta- 
hoochee formations'  underlie  the  southern  part  of  the  State  be- 
neath the  superficial  deposits  mentioned,  for  deep  borings  in 
Mobile  and  Baldwin  counties  have  demonstrated  their  existence 
at  depths  between  800  and  1550  feet,  by  means  of  the  shells 
characteristic  of  the  several  horizons  brought  up  by  the  drills. 

PLIOCENE. 
PASCAGOULA. 

In  1889,  Mr.  L.  C.  Johnson,  also  of  the  Alabama  Survey,  dis- 
covered on  Chickasawhay  river  in  Mississippi  a  few  mi1es  above 
its  confluence  with  Leaf  river  to  form  the  Pascagoula,  a  highly 
fossiliferous  marine  or  estuary  deposit  to  which  he  gave  the 


22          PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY,  GEOLOGY  AND  CLIMATE. 

name  Pascagoula.  This  bed  has  as  yet  been  seen  in  outcrop 
only  at  the  type  locality  and,  according  to  Mr.  Ball,  at  Shell 
Bluff  on  the  Pascagoula  river*.  At  the  type  locality  it  under- 
lies strata  of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation.  Most  of  the  shells  of 
this  bed  are  of  a  new  species,  (Rangia  Johnsoni)  ;  but  along 
with  these  are  numerous  shells  of  Ostrea  Virginica,  by  Mr. 
Ball's  determination.  As  this  latter  species  is  not  known  to 
occur  in  strata  older  than  Pliocene,  the  Pascagoula  is  placed  in 
this  formation  in  our  classification. 

In  the  artesian  wells  at  Mobile  shells'  characteristic  of  the  Pas- 
cagoula horizon  are  brought  up  from  depths  of  about  700  feet. 
We  may  therefore  be  reasonably  certain  that  this  formation, 
like  the  Chattahoochee,  underlies  the  lower  part  of  the  State 
though  its  outcrop  for  reasons  given,  has  not  yet  been  discov- 
ered. 

GEAND   GULF   FORMATION. 

This  name  was  given  in  Mississippi  to  a  series  of  sands  and 
clays  of  varying  character  and  varying  degree  of  induration, 
overlying  directly  and  unconformably  the  Vicksburg  limestone, 
and,  together  with  the  next  overlying  Lafayette  beds,  forming 
the  surface  of  the  Coastal  Plain  of  that  state  down  to  within  ten 
miles  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  More  specifically  the  strata  are 
thin-bedded  and  massive  clays  of  colors  varying  from  white 
through  shades  of  red  and  brown  to  black,  interstratified  with 
sands',  the  latter  in  many  places  indurated  to  form  sandstones, 
with  aluminous  or  siliceous  cement.  Occasionally  these  rocks-  are 
even  quartzitic,  as  at  the  type  locality  and  in  a  number  of  places 
in  Georgia  and  Alabama,  but  as  a  rule  they  are  only  s'lightly 
coherent.  The  clays  also  in  part  are  indurated  into  mudstones, 
and  in  part  are  more  or  less  plastic.  The  presence  of  lignitic 
matters  and  of  gypsum  is  also  locally  characteristic  of  the  clays, 
many  of  which  are  quite  meager  because  of  intermixture  with 
fine  grained  sand.  In  Alabama  the  prevailing  materials  are 
massive  clays'  of  reddish  to  brown  colors  or  mottled  gray  to  red 
and  laminated  clays  interbedded  with  sands  varying  in  coher- 
ence from  loose  sands  to  firm  sandstones  and  aluminous  or 
siliceous  cement.  The  aluminous  sandstones  pass  by  ins'ensible 

*This  may  be  the  same  as  the  type  locality,  which  is  also  called 
Shell  Bluff.     E.  A.  S. 


GEOLOGY.  23 

gradations  into  meager  clays  which  are  themselves  often  indu- 
rated into  mudstones  as  compact  as  some  of  the  sandstones. 

While  the  induration  of  the  sands  is  common  in  Mississippi 
along  the  border  of  the  river  valley  from  Grand  Gulf  down  to 
the  Louisiana  line,  and  thence  eastward  beyond  Brandon,  it  is 
by  no  means  confined  to  those  bounds  as  some  are  disposed  to 
believe.  In  Georgia  in  all  parts  of  the  Altamaha  Grit  region, 
occasional  occurrences  of  the  exceedingly  hard,  sometimes 
quartzitic,  sandstones  are  known  down  to  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  Atlantic  coast.  It  may  be  here  remarked  that  the  exces- 
sive silicification,  often  resulting  in  the  complete  obliteration  of 
the  original  texture  of  the  rock,  as  is  the  case  in  one  of  the 
sandstone  ledges  at  the  type  Grand  Gulf  locality,  is  by  no  means 
confined  to  that  locality  nor,  indeed  to  the  rocks  of  the  Grand 
Gulf  formation,  for  in  the  southeastern  parts  of  Alabama  and 
southwestern  of  Georgia  adjacent,  much  of  the  Vicksburg 
limestone  has  been  s'o  completely  petrified  by  silica  that  not  a 
trace  of  lime  remains,  and  many  of  the  masses  of  Miocene  co- 
rals so  common  in  Southwestern  Georgia  are  completely  silici- 
fied,  being  interiorly  a  mass  of  amorphous  silica  devoid  of  all 
trace  of  organic  structure.  These  remarks  are  made  in  con- 
nection with  a  proposition  to  restrict  the  name  Grand  Gulf  to 
the  quartzitic  sandstone  occurring  at  the  type  locality. 

While  the  inner  or  landward  border  of  the  Grand  Gulf  man- 
tle is  in  contact  with  the  Vicksburg  limestone  in  Mississippi  and 
with  the  St.  Stephens  in  western  Alabama,  from  Covington 
county  in  the  latter  state  eastward  it  is  found  lapping  succes- 
sively over  the  older  Tertiary  formations,  and  about  Clayton 
and  Eufaula  and  in  adjacent  parts  of  Gebrgia,  even  over  the 
Ripley  beds  of  the  Cretaceous.  On  the  map  accompanying  this1 
report  only  this  landward  margin  of  the  formation  is  attempted 
to  be  shown.  Below  or  southward  of  this  line  its  strata  cover 
partially  the  outcrops  of  the  upper  Cretaceous  and  older  Ter- 
tiary beds,  while  those  of  the  newer  Tertiary,  Chattahoochee 
and  Pascagoula,  with  the  exception  x>f  the  exposure  on  the 
Conecuh  river  above  mentioned,  seem  to  be  completely  hidden 
by  it  and  the  closely  associated  Lafayette.  Along  the  Chatta- 
hoochee river  south  of  the  Alabama  line,  however,  the  whole 
series  of  these  newer  Tertiary  beds  (possibly  excepting  the 
Pascagoula,)  is  clearly  exposed,  with  the  Grand  Gulf  and  La- 
fayette beds  overlying  them.  In  Alabama  as  yet  we  have  only 


24  PHYSICAL    GEOGRAPHY,.  GEOLOGY    AND    CLIMATE. 

the  evidence  afforded  by  the  deep  borings  in  Mobile  and  Bald- 
win counties,  to  prove  that  below  the  surface  occupied  by  the 
Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette  beds,  all  the  Miocene  and  Pliocene 
marine  Tertiary  formations  above  mentioned  are  reached  at 
depths  between  200  and  1550  feet.  All  the  facts  derived  from 
observations  in  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia,  and  Florida 
seem  to  show  that  the  Grand  Gulf  formation  cannot  be  older 
than  upper  Pliocene,  since  it  overlies  often  by  an  interval  cf 
many  feet,  the  Pascagoula  shell  bed  with  Ostrea  Virginica. 
In  these  states  no  formation  older  than  the  Lafayette  is  known 
to  overlie  it. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  with  certainty  the  thickness  of  the 
Grand  Gulf  strata.  The  dip  in  some  parts  of  its  territory  seems 
to  be  no  greater  than  the  general  slope  of  the  land  surface ;  m 
this1  respect  it  resembles  the  Lafayette.  In  Mobile  and  Baldwin 
counties  the  thickness  above  sea-level  is  at  least  150  feet,  and 
in  the  borings  mentioned  a  greater  but  undetermined  thickness 
is  found.  The  absence  of  fossils,  except  plant  remains  and  a 
few  fresh  water  unios,  makes  the  fixing  of  the  exact  age  of  the 
formation  difficult;  in  this  also  it  resembles  the  Lafayette. 

In  the  lower  counties  of  the  State  the  Grand  Gulf  is  one  of 
the  most  important  formations  in  relation  to  underground  wa- 
ters, and  more  detailed  mention  of  it  will  be  made  later. 

QUATERNARY. 
LAFAYETTE  FORMATION. 

The  surface  distribution  of  this  great  mantle  formation,  or 
rather  its  landward  limit,  will  be  seen  by  the  map.  In  general 
it  consists  of  a  red  sandy  loam,  usually  devoid  of  stratification 
in  the  upper  part,  with  cross-bedded  s'ands  and  irregular  beds  of 
water-worn  pebbles  in  the  lower  part. 

The  thickness  does  not  often  exceed  25  feet,  and  it  follows 
the  contours  of  the  surface  very  closely,  being  a  veritable  blan- 
ket, sometimes  completely  washed  away,  but  varying  very 
little  in  thickness  whether  on  the  high  level  interstream  plateaus 
or  along  the  slopes  which  break  away  from  them. 
It  overlies  with  uncomfortable  contact  every  formation  in  Ala- 
bama from  the  oldest  up  to  the  Grand  Gulf  inclusive. 


CLIMATE.  25 

Since  all  the  high  table  lands,  remnants  of  the  plain  into 
which  the  streams  have  worn  their  valleys,  are  covered  by  the 
red  loam  of  this  formation  its  importance  as  a  soil  former  is 
obvious.  In  yet  another  particular  its  importance  cannot  be 
overestimated,  namely,  in  its  relations  to  the  underground  wa- 
ters. Its  loam  and  pebble  beds  are  storage  reservoirs'  of  count- 
less springs  and  shallow  wells  over  the  entire  Coastal  Plain. 
Other  detai1s  will  be  given  in  connection  with  the  discussion  of 
the  underground  water  distribution. 

LATER    FORMATIONS. 

The  later  formations,  'Columbia,  Second  Bottom  deposits, 
First  Bottom  and  other  recent  alluvial  deposits,  and  soils,  may 
be  here  passed  over  with  mere  mention,  and  with  the  remark 
that  no  sure  identification  of  the  Columbia  has  been  made  in 
Alabama,  though  some  gray  and  white  sands  frequently  seen 
overlying  the  Lafayette  are  probably  of  this  age. 


CLIMATE   OF   ALABAMA. 

BY    MR.    FRANK    P.    CHAFFEE, 

Section  Director,  U.  S.  Weather  Bureau,  Montgomery,  Ala. 

(By  permission  from  an  article  prepared  for  the  Climatolog- 
ical  Department  of  Agriculture.) 

GENERAL  FEATURES. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  climatic  summary,  reference  has 
been  made  to  the  reports  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  and  of 
the  United  States  Signal  Service,  now  the  Weather  Bureau ;  to 
Bul1etin  No.  18  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  at  Au- 
burn, Ala. ;  and  to  the  reports  of  the  various  voluntary  observers 
in  Alabama  co-operating  with  the  Weather  Bureau. 

In  its  distance  from  the  equator,  elevation  above  sea  level, 
configuration  of  its  mountain  chains,  proximity  to  the  sea,  and 
prevailing  winds,  Alabama  is  favorably  situated  for  a  temper- 
ate and  comparatively  uniform  climate.  In  the  extreme  south- 
western portion,  washed  by  the  water  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
the  climate  approaches  the  subtropical,  while  the  climate  in  the 
highlands  of  the  northeast  is  similar  to  that  of  regions'  of  less 


26  PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 

elevation  much  farther  north.  Extremes  of  temperature  are 
rare.  Over  the  southern  half  of  the  States  the  heat  of  the  sum- 
mer is  tempered  by  the  prevailing  winds  from  the  Gulf,  and  1'n 
the  more  northern  counties  the  elevation  secures  immunity 
from  excessively  high  temperature.  Freezing  temperatures  do 
not  often  continue  longer  than  24  to  48  hours.  Snow  rarely 
falls,  except  in  the  northern  counties,  where  it  occurs  on  an  av- 
erage of  about  twice  each  winter  and  s'eldom  remains  on  the 
ground  for  more  than  48  hours.  The  rivers  do  not  freeze. 
With  the  exception  of  the  country  along  the  Gulf  Coast,  whert 
the  precipitation  is  heavy,  the  rainfall  is  well  distributed.  The 
growing  season  is  so  long  that  often  two  and  sometimes  three 
minor  crops  are  raised  on  the  same  ground  in  one  year. 

TEMPERATURE. 

The  average  temperature  of  the  entire  State  is  63  degrees ; 
for  the  southern  portion,  66  degrees';  middle  portion,  64  de- 
grees; northern  portion,  60  degrees.  Highest  average,  67  de- 
grees, in  Baldwin  and  Mobile  counties ;  lowest  average,  60  de- 
grees, in  Dekalb  County.  The  average  by  seasons  is  as  follows : 
Winter,  46  degrees ;  spring,  63  degrees ;  summer,  79  degrees ; 
autumn,  63  degrees.  The  average  summer  maximum  is  90  de- 
grees and  the  average  winter  minimum  35  degrees.  The  abso- 
lute maximum,  109  degrees,  occurred  at  Lock  No.  4  (Lincoln), 
Talladega  County,  July  7,  1902;  the  absolute  minimum,  17  de- 
grees below  zero  at  Valley  Head,  Dekalb  County,  February 
13,  1899.  Average  number  of  clays  per  year  with  temperature 
above  90  degrees,  62;  average  number  of  days  per  year  with 
temperature  below  32  degrees,  35.  The  temperature  seldom 
falls  below  zero,  the  above  extremely  low  reading  being  re- 
corded during  the  severe  cold  wave  of  February  12-13,  1899, 
which  gave  the  coldest  weather  ever  recorded  or  remembered 
in  this  section.* 

Killing  Pro st. — The  average  dates  of  last  killing  frost  in 
spring  are  as  follows :  northern  district,  April  6th ;  middle 
district,  March  23rd ;  southern  district,  March  9th ;  for  the  state, 
March  2rd.  Average  dates  of  first  killing  frost  in  autumn : 

*  Since  preparing  this  article  a  temperature  of  18°  below  zero  oc- 
curred at  Valley  Head,  Dekalb  County,  February  14,  1905.  F.  P.  C. 


CLIMATE.  27 

northern  district,  October  2oth ;  middle  district,  November  5th ; 
southern  district,  November  I7th;  for  the  state,  November  4th. 
This  gives1  average  growing  seasons  as  follows ;  northern  dis- 
trict, 197  days;  middle  district,  227  days;  southern  district, 
253  days;  for  the  state,  226  days.  The  latest  killing  frost 
known,  May  2nd,  1897,  at  Oneonta,  Blount  Co. ;  with  this  ex- 
ception, the  latest  on  record,  was  April  3Oth,  at  Valley  Head, 
Dekalb  County.  The  earliest  killing  frost  of  which  there  is 
official  record  was  October  2nd,  at  Decatur,  Morgan  County, 
but  the  voluntary  observer  at  Oneonta  reports'  that  there  is  a 
record  of  killing  frost  having  occurred  at  that  place,  September 
4th,  1866.  Over  the  middle  counties,  the  last  killing  frost,  as  a 
rule,  occurs  during  the  first  half  of  April,  and  where  the  last 
frost  is  recorded  in  March,  the  records  show  its  formation  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  April  was  prevented  by  cloudy  weather 
or  fresh  to  brisk  winds.  The  first  killing  frost  usually  occurs 
over  the  middle  counties  during  the  last  half  of  October.  When 
the  first  frost  occurred  in  November,  the  records  show  that  at 
the  same  time  during  the  last  half  of  October  the  temperature 
was  low  enough  for  frost,  the  formation  of  which  was  prevent- 
ed by  conditions  mentioned  above. 

The  distribution  of  the  temperature  is  shown  by  the  subjoined 
chart. 


28  PHYSICAL    GEOGRAPHY,    GEOLOGY    AXD    CLIMATE. 


Fig.  1. — Map  showing  mean  annual  temperatures    (Fahrenheit)    in 

Alabama. 


PRECIPITATION. 

Annual  precipitation  for  the  State  as  a  whole,  52  inches; 
for  northern  district,  52  inches;  middle  district,  51  inches; 
southern  district,  55  inches.  The  distribution  of  precipitation 
is  shown  by  the  accompanying  chart.  The  greatest  annual  av- 
erage— from  62  to  63  inches' — is  in  the  southwestern  counties, 
bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Another  region  of  heavy 
precipitation  is  found  over  the  mountainous  (north-central  and 
north-eastern)  portions,  where  it  ranges  from  47  to  54  inches 
per  annum.  The  region  of  least  precipitation  is  near  the  center 
of  the  State,  where  the  annual  average  is  about  46  inches.  The 
precipitation  is  practically  all  rain.  Snow  occurs  on  an  average 
twice  each  winter  in  the  northern  half  of  the  State  and  about 


CLIMATE;.  29 

once  a  winter  in  the  southern  counties ;  it  varies  from  very  light 
in  the  southern  district  to  moderately  heavy  (about  8  to  14 
inches)  in  the  north-central  and  northern  counties,  it  is  not 
common  for  a  winter  to  pass  without  snow  enough  to  cover 
the  ground  in  any  portion  of  the  State.  The  precipitation  is 
well  distributed  throughout  the  growing  season,  especially  in 
the  middle  and  most  important  agricultural  counties,  and  the 
autumns  are,  as  a  rule,  favorable  for  the  maturing  and  gather- 
ing of  the  staple  crops. 

Fog. — Dense  fog  seldom  occurs,  and  then  generally  in  the 
winter  or  spring  months,  and  is  mostly  confined  to  the  coast 
district. 

Hail. — This  occurs  occasionally  during  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer months,  though  really  destructive  hailstorms  are  rare  in 
this  section. 

Thunderstorms. — These  occur  in  some  portions  of  the  State 
during  every  month  of  the  year,  being  most  frequent  during 
the  stimmer  months.  The  most  severe  thunderstorms  occur 
along  the  Gulf  coast,  and  in  the  west-central  counties. 


30 


PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,   GEOLOGY   AND    CLIMATE. 


Fig.   2. — Map  showing  average   annual  precipitation   in   inches  for 

Alabama. 

WINDS. 

The  prevailing  direction  for  the  year  is  south;  for  winter, 
north ;  spring,  south ;  for  summer,  south ;  for  autumn,  north. 
Average  hourly  velocity,  (computed  from  records  at  Mobile 
and  Montgomery  only),  7  miles.  The  highest  velocity  ever 
recorded,  was  72  miles  from  southeast  at  Mobile  October  2nd, 
1893.  Winds'  of  40  miles  per  hour  or  more  have  occurred  as 
follows:  Mobile  (record  from  1885  to  1893  inclusive)  23 
times,  or  on  an  average  or  a  little  more  than  once  a  year.  Mont- 
gomery, (record  from  1875  to  1903  inclusive),  12  times,  or 
an  average  of  about  once  in  three  years. 

During  the  passage  of  general  storms  over  and  to  the  north 
of  this  region,  destructive  wind  storms  or  tornadoes  have  oc- 


PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY,    GEOLOGY    AND    CLIMATE.  31 

curred  as  follows :  Year  of  greatest  frequency,  1884,  with  19 
storms ;  average  yearly  frequency  1.6  storms ;  year  in  past  twen- 
ty-three with  no  report  of  storms,  none ;  month  of  greatest  fre- 
quency, March;  day  of  greatest  frequency,  January  nth; 
hours  of  greatest  frequency,  6  to  8  p.  m. ;  months'  without  such 
storms,  July,  August,  September,  and  October ;  prevailing  di- 
rection of  storm  movement,  southwest  to  northeast;  region  of 
greatest  frequency,  north  central  portion. 


CHAPTER    II. 

A.     GENERAL  DISCUSSION  OF  UNDERGROUND 
WATERS. 

SOURCE  OF  CIRCULATING  WATERS. 

The  ocean,  which  covers  three-fourths  of  the  surface  of  the 
earth  isx  the  chief  source  from  which  is  derived  the  water  which 
circulates  through  the  atmosphere,  and  upon  and  through  the 
lands,  and  the  great  reservoir  into  which  most  of  these  waters 
finally  return.* 

By  evaporation  from  its  surface,  moisture  is  taken  up  into 
the  atmosphere  to  be  condensed  and  to  fall  as  rain  or  snow  e'ther 
directly  back  into  the  ocean,  or  upon  the  land  surface  and  from 
it  back  into  the  universal  reservoir  by  several  ways  more  par- 
ticularly to  be  mentioned  below.  In  this'  passage,  the  water  may 
be  temporarily  locked  up  and  withdrawn  from  circulation  in  the 
tissues  of  organic  beings,  animal  and  vegetable,  and  in  minerals, 
but  eventually  practically  all  joins  again  the  great  cycle. 

As  has  been  shown  in  a  previous  chapter,  the  amount  of  this 
rainfall  for  the  state  of  Alabama,  averages  about  52  inches  per 
annum. 

DISPOSITION    OF    THE    WATER    FALLING    UPON    THE    LAND 

SURFACE. 

The  water  falling  upon  the  surface  of  the  land  is  disposed  of 
in  the  following  ways:  (i)  A  part  is  restored  directly  to  the 
atmosphere  by  evaporation  from  the  surface  without  previous 
absorption,  .(2)  a  part  runs  directly  into  the  streams  without 
being  first  absorbed  by  the  soil,  and  (3)  a  part  soaks  downward 
into  the  ground  where  it  is  retained  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
period. 

*Different  views  are  held  as  to  the  origin  of  Underground  waters, 
for  while  it  is  generally  conceded  that  the  rainfall  is  the  chief 
source,  some  believe  that  the  original  constituent  water  of  the  igne- 
ous rocks  is  the  source  of  certain  highly  carbonated  springs.  Others 
think  that  the  sea  water  included  in  marine  sediments  at  the  time 
of  their  accumulation  is  the  source  of  some  saline  waters. 


DISPOSITION  OF  WATER  FALLING  UPON   LAND  SURFACE.  33 

(1)  Evaporation  before  absorption. — During  and  immedi- 
ately following  precipitation  in  the  form  of  rain,  the  atmosphere 
is1  commonly  nearly  or  quite  saturated. with  vapor,    and    the 
evaporation  which  takes  place  before  the  rain  is  absorbed  by 
the  ground  is  very  small,  the  amount  being  practically  negli- 
gible as  compared  with  that  absorbed  by  the  soil  and  later  evap- 
orated from  its  surface  or  through  its  vegetation.     The  evap- 
oration from  the  streams  in  a  region  like  Alabama,  though  con- 
siderable in  the  aggregate,  is  also  small  as  compared  to  that 
from  the  general  land  surface  after  absorption,  probably  not 
averaging  more  than  I  or  2,  possibly  3  per  cent,  at  the  out- 
side, of  the  whole  amount  evaporated.     In  broad  general  com- 
putations, the  entire  evaporation  proceeding  the  absorption  of 
the  water  by  the  soil  may  be  neglected  without  introducing  any 
material  error. 

(2)  Direct  runoff  of  Flood  flow. — This  portion  of  the  rain- 
fall makes  its  way 'by  open  channels  into  the  streams  and  thence 
finally  back  into  the  ocean,  in  its  progress  carving  and  sculp- 
turing the  land  surface  into  irregularities  which  constitute  scen- 
ery, and  producing  the  infinite  variety  of  topography  which  we 
everywhere  see.    It  moves  the  loos'e  rock  waste  down  the  slopes 
and  into  the  streams  where,  reinforced  by  seepage  waters,  it 
carries  the  waste,  often  after  many  interruptions,  finally  into 
the  sea,  and  spreads  it  upon  the  sea  bottom  in  layers  of  sorted 
materials,  the  basis  of  a  new  series  of  rock  formations',  which 
may  be  added  to  the  dry  land  by  the  uplifting  of  this  sea  bot- 
tom.    Held  back  temporarily  in  its  descent  by  more  resistant 
rock  ledges,  it  develops  power  which  may  be  utilized  by  man; 
in  other  parts,  where  unobstructed,  it  is  available  as  a  means 
of  transport;  when  occasion  demands'  it  may  be  stored  up  by 
artificial  means  and  used  for  power,   for  irrigation,  and  for 
other  purposes. 

Few  observations  have  been  made  as  to  the  amount  of  water 
which  thus  passes  from  the  land  without  being  first  absorbed, 
but  this  is  known  to  be  very  small  when  any  large  district  is 
considered.  In  a  sandy  soil  only  3  or  4  per  cent  of  the  rainfall 
may  be  thus  returned1.  On  the  other  hand  Prof.  Prestwich*, 
for  a  region  showing  an  ordinary  succession  of  permeable 

*Geology,  Vol.  I,  p.  155.     This  assumption  is  probably  consider- 
ably too  large. 
3 


34  GENERAL    DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

strata,  assumes  that  1-3  of  the  total  rainfall  is  removed  by  di- 
rect runoff.  In  certain  limited  glacial  areas,  where  the  rocks 
are  nearly  or  quite  frae  from  soil,  this  percentage  of  direct  run- 
off may  be  much  greater  than  this1  amount.  In  the  Coastal 
Plain  region  of  Alabama  perhaps  one  fourth  of  the  soil  is  clayey 
and  would  have  a  runoff  as  high  as  that  indicated  by  Prof. 
Prestwich,  but  the  remaining  three-fourths  are  sandy  and 
should  possess  a  direct  runoff  of  less  than  5  per  cent.  It  is 
believed  that  the  direct  runoff  in  the  area  of  the  consolidated 
rocks  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  state  will  not  average 
more  than  15  or  20  per  cent  of  the  rainfall. 

(3)  Absorption. — Neglecting  the  small  amount  of  evapora- 
tion taking  place  before  absorption  and  deducting  15  per  cent 
of  the  total  rainfall  to  cover  the  direct  surface  runoff,  we  have 
a  total  of  approximately  85  per  cent,  of  the  rainfall  absorbed 
by  the  soil. 

This  absorbed  water  plays  an  important  part  in  the  disinte- 
gration of  rocks  and  their  conversion  into  soil.  It  takes  up  the 
soluble  matters  encountered  in  its  pas'sage  through  the  rocks 
and  soil,  transporting  a  part  of  them  in  solution  to  the  sea,  de- 
positing a  part  in  the  interstices  of  loose  sediments  cementing 
them  into  rocks,  concentrating  and  depositing  another  part  in 
veins  or  beds  or  other  available  forms  in  which  they  may  be 
turned  to  the  use  of  man.  It  maintains  and  regulates'  the  sup- 
ply of  moisture  in  the  soil,  without  which  all  vegetable  life 
would  be  impossible.  It  saturates  the  soil  below  certain  depths, 
affording  thus  the  sources  of  our  springs  and  wells;  and  by 
its  slow  but  constant  movement  through  the  ground  it  feeds  the 
streams  as  they  flow  towards  the  sea. 

A  large  amount  of  it  is  returned  to  the  atmosphere  by  evapo- 
ration either  directly  from  the  surface  and  through  the  tissues 
of  growing  plants,  or  from  the  streams  after  the  surplus  of 
the  ground  water  has  joined  them  by  seepage.  In  Alabama  the 
evaporation,  owing  to  the  limited  area  exposed  in  proportion  to 
the  length  of  the  drainage  systems  and  to  the  humidity  of  the 
climate,  is  not  especially  high.  Determinations  made  in  the 
years'  1900-1903  of  the  runoff  of  the  Alabama  river,  showed  that 
27  of  the  54  inches  of  rainfall  were  returned  by  the  stream  to 
the  sea,  most  of  the  remaining  27,  or  nearly  50  per  cent,  of 
the  rainfall,  having  been  lost  by  evaporation. 


AMOUNT  OF   WATER  AVAILABLE  TO  ARTESIAN  WELLS.  35 

Over  the  broad  area  of  the  Mississippi  basin  the  average 
evaporation  is  much  greater.  According  to  Messrs.  Humphrey  s 
and  Abbott*  only  25  per  cent,  of  the  total  rainfall  of  this  basin 
is  discharged  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Nearly  75  per  cent, 
must,  therefore,  have  been  lost  by  evaporation. 

Final  Runoff. — One  per  cent,  or  less  of  the  water  remaining 
after  evaporationt  may  be  taken  up  in  chemical  combination  by 
the  rocks ;  the  rest  representing  about  35  per  cent,  of  the  total 
rainfall,  joins  the  permanent  underground  water  body  occupy- 
ing the  pores  of  crevices  within  the  rocks  and  other  materials 
below  the  water  table.  These  materials  in  the  course  of  time, 
where  conditions  have  been  favorable  to  the  absorption,  have 
become  filled  to  saturation, -so  that  at  the  present  time  practically 
all  of  the  ground  water  not  lost  through  evaporation  finds  its 
way  by  seepage  into  the  streams,  constituting  at  least  two-thirds 
of  what  is  ordinarily  spoken  of  as  the  final  run-off,  the  other 
third  being  contributed  by  the  surface  run-off  or  flood  flow. 

It  is  in  high  degree  probable,  however,  that  the  direct  sur- 
face run-off  in  Alabama  covers  less  than  15  per  cent,  of  the 
rainfall,  and  that  the  proportion  of  the  final  run-off  contributed 
by  underground  seepage  is1  correspondingly  greater  than  above 
given. 

AMOUNT  OF  WATER  AVAILABLE  TO  ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

It  is  computed  that  one  inch  annual  rainfall  amounts  to  17,- 
378,743  gallons  per  square  mile;  52  inches,  which  is  the  average 
rainfall  for  the  State  of  Alabama,  being  thus  equivalent  to  903,- 
694,636  gallons  to  the  same  area.  Since  the  area  of  the  State, 
according  to  the  Twelfth  Census,  is  52,250  square  miles,  the 
total  rainfall  per  annum  for  the  State  amounts  to  47,218,044,- 
731,000  gallons'. 

As  we  have  seen  above,  approximately  85  per  cent,  of  this 
rainfall  is*  absorbed  by  the  ground.  This  amount  is  equ:valent  to 
a  daily  supply  of  109,959,830,195  gallons  for  the  whole  area, 
or  2,104,494  gallons  daily  per  square  mile. 

*Report  on  the  Mississippi  River,  p.  132. 

tC.  R.  Van  Hise,  Treatise  on  Metamorphism,  Monograph,  47;  U. 
S.  Geol.  Surv.,  p.  156. 


36  GENERAL   DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

The  largest  flow  measured  by  the  writer  in  Alabama  is  that 
of  the  great  well  near  Roberts  in  Escambia  county,  which 
yields  5,000,000  gallons  daily.  The  average  daily  rainfall 
would  supply  21,992  such  flows,  or  nearly  90,000  such  as  that 
of  the  Pickens  well  yielding  850  gallons  per  minute,  provided 
all  the  water  entering  the  soil  were  available  to  wells'. 

If  we  exclude  the  50  per  cent,  returned  to  the  atmosphere 
through  evaporation  of  the  85  per  cent,  of  the  rainfall  absorbed 
by  the  ground,  there  would  still  remain  35  per  cent,  theoretical- 
ly available ;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  clays  and  other  of  the 
finer  soils  may  contain  a  large  amount  of  water  and  yet  be- 
cause of  their  compactness  give  up  a  little  of  it  to  wells  pene- 
trating them.  For  this  reason  the  amount  of  available  water 
may  fall  far  short  of  the  maximum  above  given. 

These  rough  estimates  given,  even  with  the  limitations  men- 
tioned, will  suffice  to  show  that  the  rainfall  is  adequate  to  sup 
ply  as  many  artesian  wells  as  are  likely  to  be  sunk  within'  the 
limits  of  the  State  supposing  them  to  be  evenly  distributed 
over  the  area. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  wells  are  at  present,  and 
probably  always  will  be,  more  or  less  concentrated  in  groups 
which  may  lead  to  an  excessive  draining  on  the  resources'  of 
certain  districts. 

It  may  be  remarked  that  the  water  which  soaks  into  the 
ground,  passes  directly  downward  into  the  artesian  reservoir 
rather  than  laterally  toward  the  stream  channels,  and  that  an 
excessive  drain  on  account  of  artesian  wells  would  show  itself 
first  of  all  in  the  general  lowering  of  the  water  table,  with  con- 
sequent diminution  of  the  supply  of  wrater  in  shallow  wells  and 
springs,  and  in  the  lessening  of  the  run-off  of  the  streams. 

We  may  therefore  be  safe  in  saying  that  so  long  as'  the  shal- 
low wells  and  springs  continue  to  yield,  and  so  long  as  the 
streams  continue  to  flow,  our  artesian  supply  may  be  counted 
on. 

DEPTH  OF  PENETRATION. 

The  downward  penetration  of  water  under  the  influence  of 
gravity  takes  place  through  cracks  and  fissures  or  through 
pores  of  the  rocks,  and  its'  lower  limit  will  be  reached  when 
these  openings  no  longer  exist.  The  depth  at  which  all  pores 


MOVEMENTS  OF  UNDERGROUND  WATERS.  37 

are  closed  has  been  estimated  to  be  about  six  miles.  Experi- 
ence, however,  shows  that  ground  waters  do  not  actively  cir- 
culate to  any  such  depth,  being  confined  in  fact  largely  to  the 
upper  2,000  feet  of  the  crust  where  they  occur  mainly  in  sed- 
imentary rocks.  In  crystalline  rocks'  the  depth  to  which  the 
water  pentrates  in  economic  amounts  is  usually  much  less, 
few  wells  obtaining  supplies  at  depths  of  more  than  500  feet. 

DISTRIBUTION  AND  MOVEMENTS  OF  UNDERGROUND 
(      WATERS. 

Underground  water,  like  that  which  circulates  in  the  ocean 
and  in  the  atmosphere,  is  in  constant  motion  as  observation 
shows'.  The  chief  cause  of  this  motion  is  gravity.  Capillary 
action  and  thermal  changes  are  effective  also,  but  in  compara- 
tively limited  degree. 

The  distribution  of  the  ground  water  and  the  direction  and 
other  peculiarities  of  its  movements  are  in  so  great  measure 
determined  and  controlled  by  the  physical  structure  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  materials  through  which  it  circulates,  and  by 
the  surface  topography,  that  a  consideration  in  some  detail  of 
these  modifying  causes'  becomes  necessary. 

MODIFICATIONS  OF  GROUNDWATER  MOVEMENTS  DUE  TO 
PHYSICAL  STRUCTURE. 

POROSITY. 

All  the  materials,  whether  loose  or  consolidated,  composing 
what  is  commonly  called  the  curst  of  the  earth,  are  in  varying 
degree  capable  of  absorbing  water  through  the  pores  or  open 
spaces  separating  the  particles.  The  degree  of  porosity  is  de- 
termined by  the  size  and  shape  of  the  particles'  and  their  close- 
ness of  approximation.  If  the  particles  are  of  somewhat  uni- 
form size  and  shape,  and  rounded,  the  porosity  will  vary  be- 
tween 25  and  45  per  cent,  according  to  the  closeness  of  the 
packing.  In  material  composed  of  grains  of  varying  size  and 
shape,  the  porosity  is  considerably  less. 

Thus  the  residual  materials  resulting  from  the  weathering  of 
crystalline  rocks  and  consisting  of  grains  varying  perhaps  from 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  down  to  the  finest  clay,  would 


38  GENERAL   DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

absorb  much  less  water  than  if  the  grains  were  of  uniform 
size,  whether  like  the  larger  grains  or  the  smaller.  Neverthe- 
less, because  of  the  looseness  of  such  materials  the  porosity 
may  be  as  high  as  30  per  cent,  or  more  of  the  volume. 

In  sedimentary  deposits  (mechanical),  the  materials  are 
more  or  less  completely  s'orted  according  to  the  weight  of  the 
individual  particles,  and  hence  the  different  beds  of  this  kind 
are  likely  to  be  composed  of  grains  of  approximately  uniform 
size,  and  in  the  unconsolidated  condition  may  possess  a  poros- 
ity amounting  to  20  to  50  per  cent,  of  their  volume. 

The  calcareous  sediments  formed  by  the  precipitation  of  car- 
bonate of  lime  by  organic  agencies'  may  be  in  the  form  of  lime- 
stones or  of  a  calcareous  ooze  or  mud,  originally  as  open  and 
porous  as  the  mechanical  sediments  above  considered,  but  more 
liable  to  have  the  pores  filled  by  secondary  deposition  of  car- 
bonate of  lime,  and  to  become  compacted  limestones,  which 
are  at  times  the  most  impermeable  of  rocks.  Under  certain 
conditions,  however,  in  the  form  of  chalk  or  chalky  marls, 
these  beds  may  retain  their  porosity.  In  the  change  from  lime- 
stone to  dolomite  the  rock  becomes  open-textured  because  of 
shrinkage  in  volume,  and  the  permeability  of  all  rocks  may  be 
increased  by  the  formation  of  cracks  and  fissures  from  any 
cause. 

On  the  other  hand  the  porosity  of  loos'e  and  open-textured 
sediments  may  be  diminished  by  pressure,  and  by  secondary 
filling  of  the  pore  spaces.  So  while  all  the  rocks  exposed  at 
the  surface  of  the  earth  or  lying  within  a  few  miles  depth  from 
the  surface,  possess'  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  porosity,  this 
porosity  diminishes  with  the  depth  from  the  surface  and  is 
practically  nil  long  before  the  extreme  depth  of  five  or  six 
miles  is  reached,  at  which  theoretically  the  existence  of  open 
spaces  becomes  impossible. 

Amount  of  water  absorbed  by  porous  rocks. — The  porous 
beds  above  referred  to,  in  a  region  of  adequate  rainfall,  below 
the  water  table  will  be  saturated  with  water  to  a  very  consid- 
erable depth,  and  the  amount  of  water  thus  absorbed  is  very 
great,  as  will  be  apparent  when  we  consider  that  over  90  per 
cent,  of  the  surface  of  the  earth  is  occupied  by  such  beds.  In 
general  the  compact  rocks'  show  rarely  over  15  per  cent,  of 
pore  space,  but  one  hundred  feet  thickness  of  rocks  of  this 


MODIFICATION   OF  GROUNDWATER  MOVEMENT. 


39 


degree  of  porosity,  when  saturated  with  water  would  hold  an 
amount  equivalent  to  an  underground  lake  of  water  15  feet 
deep.  In  one  hundred  feet  thickness  of  loams  and  clays  and 
chalks  similarly  saturated,  the  amount  would  be  correspond- 
ingly greater. 

In  the  following  table  are  given  the  amounts  of  water  which 
a  cubic  foot  of  some  common  materials  will  absorb.* 

Comparative  Absorptive  Capacity  of  Different  Materials. 


Material 


Water  ab- 
sorbed per 
cubic  foot 


Material 


Water  ab- 
sorbed per 
cubic  foot 


Quarts.!  Quarts. 

Sand     10     [Dolomite    1  to  10 

Potsdam  sandstone 2  to  6     |Chalk   8 

Triassic  sandstone 4     JGranite 1/100  to  % 

Trenton   Limestone    14  to  1*4) 

Incomplete  Saturation: — It  is  generally  assumed  as  above 
stated,  that  below  the  water  table  and  down  to  the  limit  of 
meteoric  circulation,  the  pores  of  all  the  strata  are  filled  to 
saturation  with  water.  But  recent  studies  of  well  records 
and  samples  have  shown  that  this  is  far  from  being  true.t 
"Few  of  the  crystalline  rocks,  for  instance,  hold  anything  like 
their  full  capacity  of  water.  Many  mines  in  both  sedimentary 
and  crystalline  rocks  are  dry  and  dusty  even  when  far  below 
the  water  level,  open  and  porous  sandstones  which  contain  no 
water  at  all  have  been  recognized  in  deep  wells,  while  clays 
underlying  the  ground  water  are  often  incoherent  and  pow- 
dery. Estimates'  of  the  ground-water  in  the  earth  have  varied 
many  hundred  per  cent,  because  of  the  different  initial  assump- 
tions made  in  the  computations." 

Lost  Water. — This  phenomenon  also  is  referred  to  in  the 
article  above  quoted.  "Many  of  the  lower  sandstones  of  south- 
western Pennsylvania  and  elsewhere,  although  open  and  po- 
rous, are  found  by  the  drill  to  be  destitute  of  water.  That  they 
are  beyond  the  ordinary  limit  of  meteoric  circulation  will  be 
admitted,  but  as  marine  formations',  they  must  have  been  sat- 
urated at  the  time  of  their  deposition,  and  as  they  have  never 


*M.  L.  Fuller  Water  Supply  Paper  No.  114,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  p.  23. 
|M.  Lt  Fuller,  Economic  Geology,  Vol.  I,  page  565. 


40  GENERAL    DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

down  to  the  present  time  been  above  sea  or  drainage  level 
the  water  should,  in  the  absence  of  any  known  means  of  escape 
still  be  present.  This,  as  has  been  indicated,  is  not  the  case. 
The  problem  of  what  has  become  of  this  water  is  one  of  the 
more  fascinating  ones1  left  for  future  solution." 

PERMEABILITY. 

Marked  differences  exist  in  the  rate  of  movement  of  water 
through  permeable  rocks.  Falling  upon  sand  water  is  quickly 
absorbed  and  transmitted  through  the  relatively  large  pores  to 
the  permanent  groundwater  below,  and  a  small  proportion  only 
is  lost  by  evaporation  or  direct  surface  runoff.  In  the  case  of 
clays  the  water  penetrates  the  capillary  pores  very  slowly. 
The  pores  in  the  upper  layers  soon  become  filled  and  much 
water  is  lost  by  direct  runoff  and  by  evaporation  because  of 
the  slowness  with  which  it  penetrates  the  underlying  layers. 
Thus,  while  clay  possesses  high  absorptive  capacity  it  holds 
water  with  wonderful  tenacity,  and  offers  the  greatest  resist- 
ance to  any  movements  through  its  pores. 

For  these  reasons  clays  are  classed  with  the  impervious  ma- 
terials, and  in  most  of  the  artesian  systems  of  Alabama,  serve 
as  the  water-tight  confining  beds  to  the  water-bearing  sand- 
stones and  other  open-textured  rocks.  Of  course,  with  suf- 
ficient time  the  water  taken  up  by  the  clay  will  be  transmitted, 
but  this  movement  is  so  slow  that  for  our  present  purposes  it 
may  be  ignored. 

Other  fine  grained  materials  exhibit  similar  qualities  and 
Professor  Prestwich*  has  shown  that  some  chalks,  with  the 
same  absorptive  capacity  as  certain  sandstones,  transmit  water 
600  times  slower. 

Cause  and  rate  of  movement  of  underground  waters.- — : 
Gravity  is  the  chief  cause  of  the  movements  of  underground 
waters  as'  it  is  for  the  movements  of  water  in  the  surface 
streams.  In  both  cases  the  flow  is  from  a  higher  to  a  lower 
level.  The  rate  of  movement,  according  to  Schlichter,t  de- 

*Geology,  Chemical,  Physical,  and  Stratigraphic,  Vol.  I,  page  159. 
fThe  Motions  of  Underground  Waters;  Water  Supply  Paper  No. 
67,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  p.  17. 


MODIFICATION   OF  GROUNDWATER  MOVEMENT.  41 

pends  (i)  on  the  size  of  the  pores,  (2)  on  the  degree  of  po- 
rosity, (3)  on  the  pressure,  and  (4)  on  the  temperature. 

Ve'ocity. — According  to  this  author  the  velocity  of  the 
groundwater  flow  is  the  rate  (measured  as  so  many  feet  a  day, 
or  a  year,  etc.,)  at  which  the  water  advances  through  the 
porous  medium,  irrespective  of  the  amount  of  water  thus'  ad- 
vancing. For  materials  of  various  grades  the  following  re- 
sults have  been  obtained : 

Velocity  of  Groundwater  thro  ugh  Materials  of  different  Grades, 

having  a  Pressure  Gradient  or  Slope  of  10  Feet 

to  the  Mile. 

Material.  Miles  per  year.  Ft.  per  year. 

Fine   sand    0.2  mm.  diameter                      0.010  52.8 

Medium  sand 0.4  mm.  diameter                      0.041  216.0 

Coarse   sand 0.8  mm.  diameter                      0.16  845.0 

Fine  gravel 2  mm.  diameter                      1.02  5,386.0 


The  velocity  for  any  other  gradient  can  easily  be  calculated 
from  the  above.  Thus,  for  a  gradient  of  100  feet  to  the  mile, 
the  velocity  will  be  ten  times  that  given  in  the  table. 

Flow  or  Discharge. — The  amount  of  water  (measured  in 
cubic  feet  per  minute)  passing  through  a  given  cross  section, 
is  called  the  flow  or  discharge,  and  for  the  same  materials  and 
same  degree  of  porosity  and  same  gradient  as  in  the  preceding 
table,  this  flow  is  shown  in  the  following  table : 

Flow  of  Groundwater  in  Materials  of  different  Grades,  through 

a  Bed  of  Vertical  Cross  section  200  by  1000  Feet, 

sloping  10  Feet  to  the  Mile. 


Cubic  ft.  per  minute. 

Fine    sand    5.5 

Medium  sand 22.0 

Coarse  sand   87.0 

Fine   gravel    546.0 


When  the  results  of  experiments  on  loose  unconsolidated 
materials  are  compared  with  the  actually  measured  rate  of 
flow  through  the  rocks  for  long  distances,  great  discrepancies 


42  GENERAL  DISCUSSION  OF  UNDERGROUND  WATERS. 

appear;  for  it  is  found  that  the  flow  through  rocks  is  many 
tunes  more  rapid  than  the  calculated  and  observed  movements 
through  porous  sands'.  Concerning  this  Professor  King*  says : 

"It  appears  clear  therefore, that  the  movements  of 

water  across  long  distances  must  take  place  in  considerable 
measure  through  passage  ways  larger  than  those  which  de- 
pend upon  the  pore  space  fixed  by  the  diameters  of  the  grains 
which  constitute  the  beds'  themselves." 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  rate  of  flow  of  water  through 
the  superficial  layers'  of  rocks  is  increased  by  the  existence  of 
cracks  and  fissures  due  to  the  contraction  and  expansion  from 
changes  of  temperature,  to  frost,  crustal  movements,  etc.,  but  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  on  the  other  hand  that  at  considerable 
depths  below  the  surface  these  cracks  and  fissures  are  likely  to 
be  closed  by  the  creep  of  the  rock,  and  by  the  deposition  of 
mineral  matters'  from  the  circulating  waters,  so  that  after  all 
we  may  conceive  of  the  transmission  of  water  through  the 
rocks,  and  especially  through  deep  seated  rocks,  as  being  main- 
ly through  the  pores  of  the  rocks  themselves. 

We  have  heretofore  taken  no  account  of  another  factor 
which  is  bound  to  affect  the  rate  of  flow,  viz.,  hydrostatic  pres- 
sure. On  this  point  Prof.  W.  H.  Nortont  says,  "rocks  which 
transmit  but  feebly  at  the  surface  yield  water  at  far  greater 
ratios  under  strong  pressure  of  artesian  head.  Since  one  pound 
of  pressure  to  the  square  inch  is  required  to  support  each  2.31 
feet  of  water,  in  a  flowing  artesian  well  1,155  ^ee^  deep  in 
which  the  water  rises  to  the  s'urface  from  the  bottom  of  the 
well,  the  water  must  exert  at  the  base  of  the  boring  a  pressure 
of  500  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  The  effect  of  such  pressures 
must  be  to  augment  greatly  the  horizontal  transmis- 
sion of  water.  The  effect  of  even  a  moderate  increase  of  pres- 
sure is'  seen  in  mechanical  filters,  and  the  rapid  rise  in  perco- 
lation accompanying  the  use  of  such  pressure  is  set  forth  in 
certain  experiments  made  by  Isaac  Roberts. t  The  stone 
through  whose  pores  the  water  was  forced  is  stated  to  have 
been  to  10  1-2  inches  thick,  and  of  "average  coarseness." 


*Nineteenth  Annual,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  Part  II,  page  249. 
fArtesian  wells  of  Iowa,  Iowa  Geological  Survey,  Vol.  VI,  page 
165. 

$De  Ranee,  Water  Supply  of  England  Wales,  p.  19. 


MODIFICATION   OF  GROUNDWATER  MOVEMENT.  43 

Relation  of  Percolation  to  Pressure. 

Pressures.  Percolation. 

10  pounds  to  square  inch 4  %  Imperial  gallons. 

20  pounds  to  square  inch 7  %  Imperial  gallons. 

46  pounds  to  square  inch 19       Imperial  gallons. 


The  temperature  of  the  water  is  also  an  important  factor  in 
determining  the  rate  of  flow,  the  movement  being  noticeably 
greater  for  high  temperatures'  than  for  low  ones,  as  shown  in 
the  following  table.* 

Relative  Plow  of  Water  at  various  Temperatures  through  Soil. 
(Standard  Temperature  is  50  Degrees  F.) 


Relative  Relative  Relative 

Temperature        flow.     Temperature        flow.     Temperature        flow. 
Degrees  P.  Degrees  F.  Degrees  P. 


32 

0.74 

55 

1.08 

80 

1.51 

35 

0.78 

60 

1.16 

85 

1.62 

40 

0.85 

65 

1.25 

90 

1.70 

45 

0.92 

70 

1.34 

95 

1.80 

50 

1.00 

75 

1.42 

100 

1.90 

MODIFICATIONS  OF  GROUND  WATER  MOVEMENT  DUE  TO 
TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  running  streams  found  in  the  caverns  and  subterra- 
nean channels'  of  limestone  formations,  and  in  less  degree  in 
the  cracks  and  fissures  of  other  rocks,  while  sometimes  of  large 
size  and  of  local  importance,  form  but  an  insignificant  part  of 
that  great  body  of  water  circulating  through  sands,  and  other 
porous  strata,  with  which  we  are  here  chiefly  concerned  and 
which  is  here  termed  "ground  water." 

GROUNDWATER    DIVISIONS. 

In  the  discussion  of  underground  waters  three  divisions  have 
been  recognized:  (i)  The  unsaturated  zone,  (2)  The  sur- 
face zones  of  flow,  and  (3)  The  deep  zones  of  flow. 

*Schlichter  Water  Supply  Paper,  No.  67  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  p.  24. 


44  GENERAL    DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

The  unsaturated  zone  extends  from  the  surface  of  the 
ground  down  to  the  upper  surface  of  the  groundwater  body — 
"the  water-table."  In  this  zone  the  saturation  of  the  strata  is 
prevented  partly  by  the  downward  percolation  of  the  water 
into  the  permanently  saturated  layers  and  partly  by  its'  being 
brought  back  to  the  surface  by  capillarity  and  the  roots  of 
plants  and  there  evaporated. 

The  surface  zone  of  flow  extends  from  the  level  of  the  water 
table  down  to  the  first  impervious  stratum  of  considerable 
extent.  The  deeper  zones  of  flow  are  those  which  lie  below  the 
first  impervious  stratum,  and  of  these  there  may  be  s'everal 
in  the  same. region. 

In  the  discussion  of  artesian  systems  we  shall  be  chiefly  con- 
cerned with  the  deeper  zones  of  flow,  while  most  of  the  other 
problems  of  the  water  supply  pertain  to  the  surface  zone. 

SURFACE  ZONE  OF  FLOW. 

FORM    OF    THE    GROUNDWATER    TABLE. 

The  upper  surface  of  the  groundwater  body,  or  the  water 
table,  shows  a  general  agreement  with  the  surface  configu  ;a- 
tion  of  the  land.  Where  the  surface  is  horizontal  over  any 
broad  area  the  water  table  likewise  tends  to  be  horizontal,  its 
distance  belo\y  the  top  of  the  ground  depending  partly  on  the 
rainfall  and  partly  upon  the  depth  from  which  moisture  can  be 
raised  to  the  surface  and  evaporated.  Where  the  land  is 
sloping  the  waier  table  slopes  in  a  similar  direction  but  usv.aliy 
at  a  less  c'.ngle._  Again  where  the  surface  is  hilly  there  .ire 
correspond ir.g 'but  less  marked  undulations  in  the  water  table, 
the  latter  being  practically  at  the  level  of  the  streams  in  the  val- 
leys, v/hilc  un  Jer  the  crests  of  the  hills  it  is  considerably  be- 
low the  surface,  the  distance  depending  upon  the  arnounl  uf 
rainfall  and  the  angle  o*  slope  towards  the  valley .  1  -iesc  re- 
lations are  very  well  shown  in  the  accompanying  diagram  taken 
from  Schlichter. 


MODIFICATION   OF  GROUNDWATER   MOVEMENT. 


45 


Pig.  3.     Ideal  section  across  a  river  valley,  showing  the  position  of 

the  groundwater  and  the  undulations  of  the  water  table  with 

reference  to  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  bed  rock. 


Ordinarily  the  surface  of  the  water  table  is  above  the  level 
of  the  streams,  and  it  will  easily  be  seen  how  streams'  are  con- 
stantly fed  by  seepage  from  the  higher  lands  on  each  side,  and 
how  valleys  not  occupied  by  streams  may  be  kept  wet  by  the 
slow  rise  of  water  from  below  as  it  is  forced  up  by  hydrostatic 
pressure.  This  will  be  illustrated  by  the  subjoined  figure.* 


Fig.   4.     Diagramatic  section    illustrating   seepage   and    the   growth 
of  streams.    Lines  with  arrows  are  lines  of  flow. 

This  figure  will  also  show  that  the  very  general  belief  that 
underground  waters  are  fed  from  rivers  and  lakes,  is  true 
only  in  very  exceptional  cases  and  under  peculiar  circumstan- 
ces, for  the  hydrostatic  pressure  forcing  the  water  from  the 
highlands  into  the  stream  will  in  most  cases  exceed  the  pres- 
sure in  the  opposite  direction. 

Where,  however,  shallow  soil  is  spread  out  over  limestones 
cut  by  fissures  and  cracks,  it  may  happen  that  the  groundwater 
level  cannot  be  maintained  above  the  ordinary  level  of  some 
of  the  surface  streams.  Similar  conditions  may  exist  in  certain 
porous  sandstones  or  other  fissured  rocks  which  are  deeply 
underdrained.  Again,  in  the  arid  region  streams  flowing  out 
upon  dry  plains  over  channels  of  coarse  materials,  are  often 

*Schlichter  Movements  of  Underground  Water.  Water  Supply 
Paper  No.  67,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  p.  13. 


46        GENERAL  DISCUSSION  OP*  UNDERGROUND  WATERS. 

rapidly  absorbed,  the  water  joining  the  so-called  "underflow' 
which  may  emerge  further  down  the  valley. 

Usually  this  underflow  is  not  important,  yet  where  the  river 
slope  (downstream)  is  great  and  the  material  deposited  in  the 
river  channel  is  coarse,  or  where  the  fine  silt  of  the  channel 
covers  deeper  deposits  of  coarser  material,  rendering  seepage 
into  the  channel  difficult  and  underground  passage  downstream 
easy,  the  underflow  may  be  relatively  large,  but  the  velocity 
of  the  underflow  is  always,  according  to  Schlichter,  very  small 
and  the  total  amount  is'  commonly  greatly  exaggerated. 

The  depth  of  the  water  table,  as  we  have  seen,  is  greatly 
influenced  by  topography,  but  in  regions  of  abundant  rain- 
fall and  comparatively  little  evaporation,  as  in  the  eastern 
United  States,  the  permanent  groundwater  level  is  seldom  very 
far  below  the  surface  even  in  the  uplands.  In  most  parts  of 
the  Alabama  highlands  wells  do  not  require  to  be  more  than 
100  feet  deep,  and  water  is  usually  obtained  at  a  much  less 
depth.  In  lands  of  medium  elevation  the  usual  depth  of  wells 
is  from  30  to  40  feet.  In  the  valleys  and  low  grounds  water 
is  often  obtained  very  near  the  surface,  and  usually  at  depths 
of  from  10  to  15  feet.  It  is  only  in  the  arid  regions  of  the 
country  that  the  groundwater  level  is  many  hundred  feet  below 
the  surface. 

MODIFICATIONS  OF  GROUNDWATER  MOVEMENT  DUE  TO 

STRATIFICATION. 
DEEP  ZONES  OF  FLOW. 

The  materials  of  s'edimentary  formations  are  more  or  less 
perfectly  sorted  according  to  size,  and  the  strata  of  different 
kinds  constituting  a  cycle  of  deposition,  normally  succeed  each 
other  in  a  definite  order,  which  is,  pebbles  and  coarse  sands  be- 
low, followed  in  ascending  order  by  finer  sands,  and  these  in 
turn  by  clays.  To  these  inorganic  matters'  must  be  added,  as 
the  last  term  of  the  series,  the  organic  sediments,  chalk  and 
limestone. 

Of  the  sediments  above  named  the  sandstones  or  sands 
usually  constitute  the  porous,  permeable  beds,  and  the  shales' 
or  clays,  the  impervious  ones.  The  limestones  in  general  may 
be  classed  as  impervious,  but  some  of  the  chalks,  and  especially 
those  limestones,  which  are  made  up  of  loos'eiy  cemented  frag- 


MOVEMENTS  OF  UNDERGROUND  WATERS.  47 

ments  of  shells  and  those  which  by  exposure  to  weathering 
in  the  unsaturated  zone,  have  become  fissured  and  traversed 
by  caverns  and  other  open  passage  ways,  may  be  in  very  high 
degree  permeable,  and  thus  water-bearers.  Of  this  nature  are 
the  loose  textured,  shelly  limestones  of  the  Claiborne  formation 
which  constitute  the  water-bearing  stratum  of  so  many  arte- 
sian wells  in  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi.  In  still 
another  way  limestone  may  become  open-textured,  viz.,  in  its 
alteration  into  dolomite,  with  attendant  diminution  in  volume, 
and  development  of  cracks  and  interstices. 

In  any  considerable  thickness  of  stratified  deposits  represent- 
ing a  number  of  cycles  of  deposition  as  above  outlined,  there 
will  almost  certainly  be  found  beds  of  porous  materials  well 
fitted  for  quickly  absorbing  water  and  for  transmitting  it  by 
percolation,  enclosed  between  beds  which  are  relatively  im- 
pervious. And  since  these  beds  are  nearly  always  inclined  at 
some  angle  to  the  horizon  they  furnish  the  conditions  for 
storing,  and  maintaining  a  circulation  of  water  far  below  the 
zone  of  surface  flow  in  one  or  more  systems  or  zones  of  deeper 
flow  as  defined  above. 

The  distinguishing  features  of  the  deeper  zones  of  flow  have 
been  so  clearly  presented  by  Prof.  Schlichter  in  the  work  so 
often  referred  to  above,  that  we  can  not  do  better  than  quote 
his  words. 


"The  pervious  and  water-bearing  sandstones  and  limestones  be- 
neath the  surface  zone  of  flow  constitute  what  we  have  called  the 
deeper  zones  of  flow.  There  may  be  several  of  these  deeper  zones 
or  they  may  be  absent  altogether.  When  present,  they  may 'be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  surface  zone  of  flow  by  the  following  character- 
istics: 

(1)  The  surface  zcne  of  flow  has  a  free,  unconfined  upper  boun- 
dary   (the  water  table)    and  an  impervious  lower  boundary.     The 
deep  zone  of  flow  has  an  impervious  upper  boundary  as  well  as  an 
impervious  lower  boundary. 

(2)  The  unit  of  the  upper  zone  of  flow  is  the  drainage  area  or 
river  valley.     The  unit  of  the   deep  zone  of  flow   is  regicnal  and 
geologic   and   not    dependent   upon   surface    contours.     However,    it 
must  not  be  forgotten   that  the   deeper  geologic  structure   is    fre- 
quently   the    principal    determining   factor    controlling   the   surface 
drainage,   so   that   the   deep   zc'nes    of   flow   do   not   commonly   run 
counter  to  the  direction  of  the  surface  flow. 

(3)  The  surface  zone  of  flow  is  dependent  upon  the  local  rain 
fall  of  the  immediate  region.    The  deeper  zones  of  flow  receive  their 
waters  from  distant  areas. 


48  GENERAL   DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

(4)  The  surface  zone  of  flow  is  in  part  above  the  level  of  surface 
drainage  channels,  while  the  deeper  zones  are  entirely  below  the  lo- 
cal drainage  level. 

(5)  There  is  commonly  a  difference  in  the  chemical  composition 
of  the  waters  from  the  two  zones.    It  is  difficult  in  our  present  state 
of  knowledge  to  make  valuable  generalizations.     The     waters     of 
the  surface  zcne  are  usually   less  mineralized  than  those  of  deep 
strata,  but  in  arid  regions  this  general  rule  is  frequently  reversed. 
The   carbonates  are   the   predominant   salts  of  the   surface  waters. 
The  deeper  waters  are  usually  characterized  by  rather  high  amounts 
of   dissolved   chlorides.     Waters   of   the    surface    zone   contain    dis- 
solved oxygen  gas,  which  is  almost  entirely  absent  from  the  deep 
waters."* 

RECOVERY  OF  UNDERGROUND  WATERS. 

Water  is  returned  to  the  surface  mainly  by  two  general 
ways:  (i)  By  springs1,  and  (2)  by  wells. 

WATERS  NEAR  THE  SURFACE. 

Springs. — It  has  already  been  pointed  out  how  in  a  region  of 
uneven  surface  the  rain-fall  soaking  into  the  ground  will  raise 
the  level  of  the  groundwater  in  the  uplands  until  the  head  is 
sufficient  to  cause  lateral  movement  towards  the  low  ground, 
where  it  will  rejoin  the  surface  water  by  general  seepage  or 
seepage  springs  along  the  sides  of  the  valleys,  or  pas's  into  lakes 
and  running  streams  and  even  into  the  sea  if  the  distance  is 
not  too  great.  Where  the  emergence  of  the  water  is  concen- 
trated in  a  small  area  we  have  what  is  known  as  a  spring. 
Such  springs  most  commonly  emerge  just  above  an  impervious' 
bed.  (Fig.  5)t  or  from  between  two  impervious  beds.  (Fig. 
6.)t 


Fig.   5.     Hillside  spring  from  unconfmed  water  bed   without  head. 


*The  Motions  of  Underground  Waters,  page  53. 

tM.  L.  Fuller.    Water  Supply  Paper,  No.  145.    U.  S.  Geol.  Survey: 
page  47. 


s    L; 

o      l»> 

I 


J 


RECOVERY    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 


49 


Fig.  6.     Hillside  spring  from  confined  water  bed  under  more  or 

less   head. 


In  limestone  regions  they  generally  emerge  from  solution 
passages  in  a  mass  of  uniform  rock.  Thes'e  are  often,  of  con- 
siderable size,  and  are  commonly  known  in  Alabama  as  "big" 
or  "limestone"  springs.  One  of  the  best  known  springs  of 
this  character  in  the  State  is  that  at  Huntsville,  (See  Plate  II). 
The  water  emerging  from  ^he  subcarboniferous  limestone  at 
this1  point  forms  a  stream  of  considerable  size.  The  Knox 
Dolomite,  another  extensive  calcareous  formation  in  Alabama, 
affords  hundreds  of  similar  big  springs.  In  the  Coastal  Plain 
region,  especially  in  Barbour  and  Henry  Counties,  the  Clayton 
and  Nanafalia  limestones,  and  further  south  the  St.  Stephens 
limestone  of  the  Tertiary,  are  also  characterized  by  similar 
springs. 

Open  wells. — To  supplement  these  natural  modes  of  recovery 
of  underground  waters,  recourse  has  been  had  from  the  ear- 
liest times  to  artificial  contrivances,  the  most  important  and 
most  commonly  used  of  these  being  the  ordinary  open  well. 
An  excavation  is  made  in  water-bearing  sands  to  some  depth 
below  the  water  table.  A  lowering  of  the  water  table  around 
the  well  at  once  follows  by  reason  of  the  converging  flow  of  the 
underground  waters  into  the  well.  If  the  water  is  not  drawn 
from  the  well  the  level  of  the  water  table  will  be  restored  after 
a  time  and  stand  at  the  same  height  in  and  near  the  well  as 
father  away.  If  the  water  be  removed  in  any  considerable 
quantity,  the  level  of  the  water  in  the  well  will  remain  below 
that  of  the  general  water  surface  outside,  the  depression  de- 
pending on  the  quantity  of  the  water  removed. 

Driven  wells. — The  driven  ivell  is  merely  a  modification  of 
the  open  well,  made  by  driving  a  pipe  with  open  end,  or  better 
4 


50  GENERAL   DISCUSSION    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 

with  closed  point  at  the  end  and  with  perforations  above  it 
to  admit  the  water. 

From  the  open  well  the  water  is  raised  by  bucket,  or  pump, 
or  other  mechanical  means.  For  a  driven  well  the  pump  is 
mostly  used. 

In  all  parts  of  Alabama,  except  in  some  of  the  limestone  re- 
gions and  the  Post  Oak  Flatwoods',  (and  even  in  these  in 
places),  water  may  always  be  obtained  by  sinking  wells  to 
depths  varying  from  a  few  feet  to  one  hundred  or  more,  gen- 
erally less  than  fifty  feet.  In  residual  accumulations,  (i.  e. 
those  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  the  rocks  ),  such  as 
are  common  in  the  area  of  the  crystalline  rocks,  and  in 
the  Coal  Measures,  and  in  some  limestone  regions  where  thes'e 
surface  matters  are  more  or  less  clayey  and  localized  in  ex- 
tent, the  supply  is  likely  to  be  uncertain,  and  the  wells  to  go 
dry  or  to  diminish  greatly  in  summer.  But  where  the  surface 
materials  are  of  such  wide  distribution  and  of  such  favorable 
composition  as1  are  afforded  by  the  Lafayette  beds  that  have 
been  spread  so  generally  over  the  whole  Coastal  Plain  Region 
of  Alabama,  the  supply  seems  to  be  never-failing  under  pres- 
ent climatal  conditions. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  circumstance  in  some  parts  of  the 
Coastal  Plain  Region,  that  of  two  closely  contiguous  wells  the 
water  of  the  one  may  be  good  while  that  of  the  other  may  be 
unfit  for  use  by  reason  of  excess1  of  organic  matter  and  iron 
salts.  The  one  penetrates  into  a  buried  slough  or  other  de- 
posit of  organic  matters,  while  the  other  does  not.  This  is 
shown  by  the  accompanying  figure  taken  from  Water  Supply 
Paper  No.  145,  U.  S.  G.  S.  page  112. 


Fig.  7.     Diagram  showing  buried  sloughs.     Wells  at  a  and  b  would 

furnish  water  containing  iron  and  organic  matter.     The  well 

at   c    would    furnish    comparatively    pure    water. 

(After  Purdue.) 

Inasmuch  as*  the  lowering  of  the  groundwater  level  in  the 
uplands  by  drainage  into  the  lowlands,  goes  on  very  slowly, 


RECOVERY    OF    UNDERGROUND    WATERS. 


51 


the  time  of  low  water  in  the  wells  rarely  coincides  with  the 
season  of  dry  weather. 

The  hillside  springs  are  subject  to  like  conditions  or  limita- 
tions, they  go  dry  in  many  places  in  the  Coal  Measures  and 
region  of  the  Crystalline  rocks,  while  they  are  never-failing 
in  parts'  of  the  Coastal  Plain  where  the  materials  of  the  Lafay- 
ette form  the  surface. 

DEEP-SEATED  WATERS. 

It  has  been  shown  above  how  alternations  of  the  permeable 
and  impervious  strata  of  the  sedimentary  formations  afford  the 
conditions  for  deep  seated  flow  of  underground  waters.  From 
these  deeper  zones  of  flow  as  from  the  surface  zone,  the  water 
may  also  be  recovered  through  the  agency  of  gravity  supple- 
mented by  natural  or  artificial  return  ways. 

Deep  Springs  (Pis sure  springs.} — The  groundwater  in  gent- 
ly dipping  porous  beds  enclosed  between  impervious  ones, 
may  in  the  course  of  its  downward  percolation  to  considerable 
depths,  meet  with  joints  or  fissures  in  the  impervious  overlying 
bed  and  thus  escape  to  the  surface,  sometimes1  at  considerable 
distance  from  the  place  at  which  it  entered  the  ground,  as  is 
shown  in  the  accompanying  figure. 


Figure  8.    Fissure  spring. 

The  waters  of  springs  of  this  kind  having  been  long  in  con- 
tact with  the  strata  are  likely  to  be  highly  charged  with  min- 
eral matters  that  have  been  taken  into  solution  on  the  way. 
Deep  springs  are  usually  distinguished  from  surface  springs 
by  a  greater  constancy  of  flow,  by  relative  uniformity  of  sum- 
mer and  winter  tenperatures,  and  by  freedom  from  contami- 
nation. 

Artesian  wells. — In  this  paper  the  term  "artesian"  is  used 
for  any  well  sunk  into  a  deep  zone  of  flow  where  the  water  i? 


52  ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

found  under  hydrostatic  pressure,  so  that  it  will  rise  in  a  well 
above  the  impervious  confining  strata.  As  thus  defined  arte- 
sian wells  may  be  divided  into  flowing  and  non-flowing.  This, 
however,  is  a  non-essential  distinction,  since  of  two  wells  sunk 
into  the  same  water-bearing  stratum  one  may  flow  while  the 
other  on  somewhat  higher  ground  may  not.  From  such  wells 
the  deep  seated  waters  are  recovered  either  by  natural  flow 
or  by  pumping  at  the  surface. 

B.    ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

Artesian  wells  are  governed  by  certain  laws  and  present  cer- 
tain definite  features,  a  discussion  of  which  will  be  found  in 
the  following  paragraphs. 

ESSENTIAL  CONDITIONS. 

In  his  treatise  entitled,  The  Requisite  and  Qualifying  Con- 
ditions' of  Artesian  Wells,  *Prof.  Chambcrlin  enumerates  the 
following  seven  prerequisites : 

I.  A  pervious  stratum  to  permit  the  entrance  and  the  pas- 
sage of  the  water. 

II.  A  water  tight  bed  below  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  water 
downward. 

III.  A  like  impervious  bed  above  to  prevent  escape  upward,  for 
the  water,  being  under  pressure  from  the  fountain  head, 
would  otherwise  find  relief  in  that  direction. 

IV.  An  inclination  of  these  beds,  so  that  the  edge  at  which  the 

waters  enter  will  be  higher  than  the  surface  at  the  well. 

V.  A  suitable  exposure  of  the  edge  of  the  porous  stratum,  so 
that  it  may  take  in  a  sufficient  supply  of  water. 

VI.  An  adequate  rainfall  to  furnish  this  supply. 

VII.  An  absence  of  any  escape  for  the  water  at  a  lower  level 
than  the  surface  at  the  well. 

These  have  commonly  been  accepted  as  essential  to  arte- 
sian flows,  but  recent  investigationst  indicate  that  artesian 
flows  may  take  place  where  the  first  four  of  these  conditions,- 

*Fifth  Annual  Report.     U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  1885,  pp.  131-173. 

fM.  L.  Fuller.  Artesian  Flows  from  Unconfined  Sandy  Strata; 
Engineering  News,  Vol.  52,  pp.  329-330. 


ESSENTIAL  CONDITIONS.  53 

supposedly  indispensable,  are  abs'ent.  The  following  figure 
representing  a  typical  East  and  West  section  across  the  bays 
on  the  north  shore  of  Long  Island,  illustrates  one  such  case, 
where,  notwithstanding  the  permeability  of  the  sands,  wells' 
penetrating  below  the  water  table  at  the  base  of  the  bluffs 
obtain  flowing  water. 


Pig.  9.     Section  showing  conditions  furnishing  flows  from  un- 
confined  sandy   strata.      (After   Fuller.) 

Slight  difference  in  the  degree  of  porosity  of  the  sands  may 
account  for  the  phenomena,  or  the  horizontal  arrangement  of 
the  grains,  even  in  uniform  sand,  may  so  oppose  the  pas'sage 
of  the  water  that  it  will  pass  upward  through  the  well  with 
greater  ease  than  through  the  sand  of  the  nature  described,  and 
a  flow  will  result. 

In  the  region  of  the  metamorphic  and  igneous  rocks  also, 
artesian  wells  are  obtained  where  some  of  these  "essentials" 
appear  to  be  wanting. 

In  fact,  adequate  rainfall,  suitable  outcrop  of  the  porous  bed, 
and  absence  of  leakage  being  assumed,  it  is  probable  that  the 
one  essential  pre-requisite  of  an  artesian  flow  is  a  suffkien't 
difference  in  the  level  of  the  water  table  in  closely  adjacent 
regions. 

In  the  great  majority  of  cases,  however,  with  which  we  in 
Alabama  are  concerned,  the  conditions  governing  the  artesian 
problems  are  practically  those  discussed  by  Prof.  Chamberlin, 
and  a  statement  of  some  of  the  most  important  of  these  condi- 
tions will  help  to  a  proper  undertaking  of  much  that  follows. 

Artesian  system. — A  series  consisting  of  a  porous  or  per- 
meable bed  enclosed  between  two  impervious  ones',  all  having 
a  moderate  dip  or  incline  somewhat  greater  than  the  general 
slope  of  the  surface,  constitutes  an  artesian  system.  Water 
falling  as  rain  upon  the  outcropping  edge  of  the  permeable  bed 


54 


ARTESIAN  WELLS. 


will  be  absorbed  by  it,  and  by  the  force  of  gravity  will  perco- 
late through  it  in  the  only  direction  possible,  i.  e.  down  the 
dip,  general  diffusion  being  prevented  by  the  under-and  over- 
lying impervious  beds\  Carried  thus  between  impervious 
sheets  to  a  lower  level  than  the  outcrop,  the  water  will  accu- 
mulate under  hydrostatic  pressure,  and  if  the  overlying  retain- 
ing bed  be  pierced  by  an  opening,  natural  or  artificial,  the 
water  will  ascend,  approximately  to  the  level  of  its  head,  which 
is  the  outcrop  of  the  permeable  bed. 

The  ideal  arrangement  of  the  strata,  rarely  realized  in  nature, 
is  that  in  which  the  basin  shape  is  approximated.  In  this  case 
the  water  falling  upon  the  outcropping  edges  of  the  porous 
beds,  gradually  sinks  from  every  side  toward  the  center  of  th^ 
basin.  This  case  is  illustrated  by  Fig.  10  below. 


Fig.  10.     Ideal  Artesian  Basin. 

A  far  more  common  arrangement  and  one  prevalent  in  the 
Alabama  Coastal  Plain  is  that  where  the  strata  all  dip  in  one 
direction  and  the  general  slope  of  the  land  surface  is  in  the 
same  direction  but  at  a  less  rapid  rate.  In  such  a  system  the 
character  of  the  well,  whether  flowing  or  not,  will  depend  upon 
the  local  inequalities  of  the  surface. 

These  conditions  are  illustrated  in  the  following  figure. 


Fig.       11.       Diagrammatic       representation       of      a       single       ar- 
tesian system,  showing  the  influence  of  relative  altitude  in  de- 
termining whether  or  not  the  well  will  flow.    A  is  the  porous 
water-bearing  bed  enclosed  between  impermeable  ones. 
The  well  at  a  will  flow,  that  at  b  on  higher  ground 
will  not. 


ESSENTIAL  CONDITIONS. 


55 


If  the  general  slope  of  the  land  surface  were  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  the  dip  of  the  strata,  a  flowing  artesian  well 
would  be  an  impossibility  except  under  peculiar  local  condi- 
tions. 

The  diagram  below,  Fig.  12,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to 
Mr.  M.  L.  Fuller*  illustrates  a  case  which  has1  come  under  his 
observation,  where  the  water  flows  at  a  higher  level  than  th*» 
outcrop  of  the  water-bearing  bed  of  the  region,  being  fed, 
however,  in  part  through  a  joint  or  fault  from  a  higher  lying 
source. 


Fig.   12.     Underground  conditions   in  Thompsonville  well.    (Conn.) 

A  very  gentle  dip  of  the  strata  is  most  favorable,  for  if  the 
dip  be  great  not  only  will  the  outcrop  of  the  porous  bed  be 
narrow  and  its  intake  capacity  thus  reduced,  but  the  water  will 
very  quickly  be  conducted  to  depths  which  it  would  be  imprac- 
ticable to  reach  by  borings.  A  dip  of  one  per  cent,  will  carrv 
a  stratum  down  52.8  feet  in  a  mile ;  a  dip  of  ten  per  cent,  will 
carry  it  down  528  feet  in  a  mile ;  while  a  dip  of  45  degrees  will 
carry  the  bed  down  one  mile  in  a  mile.  Thes'e  relations  and 
the  rapid  narrowing  of  the  area  of  outcrop  with  increase  of 
the  angle  of  the  dip  will  be  made  clear  by  the  accompanying 
diagram  in  which  A,  B  and  C,  represent  the  relative  widths 
of  the  outcrop  of  three  strata  of  equal  thickness  but  of  differ- 
ent inclinations;  A  at  5  degrees,  B  at  10  degrees,  and  C  at  25 
degrees  from  the  horizon. 


Fig.  13. 


Illustrating  the  influence  of  the  dip  of  the  strata  on  the 
width  of  the  outcrop. 


*Water  Supply  Paper' No.  110,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  p.  102. 


56  ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

The  following  figures  will  further  illustrate  these  points : 
A  bed  of   1000  feet  thickness   inclined  at   different  angles' 
will  have  a  surface  outcrop  varying  as  shown  in  the  table  be- 
low. 

Angle  of  Dip.  Width  of  outcrop. 

45  degrees  1414  feet. 

20  degrees  2924  feet. 

10  degrees  5780  feet. 

5  degrees  11495  feet. 

30  minutes  114547  feet. 

26  minutes  (40  feet  to  the  mile)  132275  feet. 

19%  minutes  (30  feet  to  the  mile)  176367  feet. 

16 y.>  minutes  (25  feet  to  the  mile)  208333  feet. 

What  has  been  said  above  refers  to  a  single  artesian  system, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  supply  of  a  well  may  come  from 
more  than  one  such  system,  and  the  motion  of  the  water  is  in 
cons'equence  far  more  complicated  than  above  indicated.  On 
this  point  Mr.  King*  writes  as  follows : 

"It  would  appear  that  all  fissures  of  all  rocks  must  participate  in 
the  horizontal  movements  of  ground  water  to  a  considerable  extent 
if  they  lie  below  the  plane  of  saturation  and  are  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  a  water-bearing  stratum.  Where  two  sandstone  (po- 
rous) horizons  are  separated  by  rock  formations  possessing  jointed 
structure  developed  in  a  marked  degree  it  may  be  that  these  joints 
and  fissures  participate  in  no  inconsiderable  extent  in  the  horizontal 
transmission  of  the  water." 

"It 'may  also  be  true  that  such  beds  separating  two  sandstone 
formations  will  serve  to  make  the  water  in  both  beds  available  to 
wells  which  penetrate  only  the  upper  horizon,  the  water  reaching 
the  well  not  directly  but  by  rising  in  a  general  way  at  many  places 
or  along  numerous  lines  and  networks  of  fissures  and  over  wide 
areas,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  keep  the  upper  sandstone  more  nearly 
filled  with  water  and  thus  maintain  the  pressure  in  the  reck  about 
the  well  at  a  materially  higher  point  than  would  otherwise  exist, 
especially  in  such  cases  as  the  wells  of  the  city  water  works  where 
continuous  pumping  is  maintained." 

"It  may  even  be  true  that  water  from  an  upper  horizon  of  sand- 
stone may,  in  certain  regions,  pass  through  a  general  system  of 
fissures  into  one  of  lower  level,  and  vice  versa,  during  the  horizontal 
transmission,  the  water  taking  in  all  cases  the  line  of  least  resistance 
so  that  if  in  the  upper  horizon  of  sandstone  in  a  particular  region 
the  texture  is  closer  than  that  in  the  lower,  the  general  flow  could 
well  divide  and  become  in  one  section  stronger  than  normal,  first  in 
the  lower  horizon  and  then  in  the  upper  horizon,  according  as  the 
textures  of  the  two  rocks  vary  in  coarseness." 

"It  would  appear  that  the  more  rational  view  to  take  of  the  move- 
ment of  underground  water  is  that  it  is  one  more  or  less  continuous 

*Nineteenth  Annual  Report,  U.  S.  G.  S.  Part  II,  page  249. 


MODIFYING  CONDITIONS.  57 

body  receiving  accessions  at  many  high  levels  and  discharging  its 
water  at  many  lower  levels,  but  that  the  water  in  reaching  its  lower 
levels  may  not  all  of  the  way  follow  continuously  one  particular 
geological  horizon.' 

"It  is  of  course  true  that  the  maximum  flow  must  be  concentrated 
in  the  sandstone  horizons,  but  it  seems  also  necessary  to  suppose 
that  even  here  there  may  be  joints,  fissures,  or  ether  waterways 
which  materially  assist  in  the  transmission  of  the  water." 

"In  the  case  of  wells  sunk  in  rock  the  flow  of  water  into  them  may 
be  very  much  more  rapid  than  thst  of  the  general  flow  of  the  water 
through  the  formation  into  which  the  well  is  sunk,  because  when 
the  water  is  taken  out,  either  by  pumping  or  by  natural  discharge, 
a  Iccal  effective  head  is  developed,  much  greater  than  the  general 
effective  head,  and  as  the  water  approaches  the  well  from  all  sides,  a 
relatively  very  slow  flow,  even  a  few  feet  back  from  the  well,  will  de- 
liver a  large  amount  of  water  to  the  well, 'and  if  the  material  is 
coarse  and  the  bore  of  the  well  small  the  amount  delivered  may  even 
tax  the  capacity  of  the  well  to  deliver  the  water  which  is  brought  to 
it." 

MODIFYING  CONDITIONS. 

In  a  single  artesian  system  of  the  Alabama  Coastal  Plain, 
of  limited  extent  and  fairly  uniform  in  the  composition  and 
structure  of  its  strata,  the  conditions  will  be  about  as  repre- 
sented in  the  diagram  given  above,  Fig.  n. 

In  the  very  nature  of  things,  however,  these  sediments  will 
not  be  in  continuous  and  unbroken  sheets  under  the  whole 
expanse  of  the  Coastal  Plain.  They  will  be  intersected  by 
streams  and  will  vary  in  the  character  of  the  materials  and 
their  thickness  arid  order  of  succession  from  place  to  place, 
so  that  wells',  which  from  their  position  should  have  nearly  iden- 
tical logs  or  records,  do  often  show  very  great  differences. 
Some  of  the  complications  thus  brought  about  may  be  briefly 
noted. 

Effects  of  erosion. — If  the  water-bearing  stratum  be  inter- 
sected by  a  ravine  or  stream  valley  at  right  angles  to  its  dip, 
the  effect  on  wells  on  the  two  sides  of  the  ravine  may  be  very 
different  as'  the  following  diagram  will  show. 


58 


ARTKSIAN  WELLS. 


Fig.  14. — Section  showing  the  effect  of  erosion.  A  is  the  porous 
water-bearing  bed  between  two  impervious  ones.  The  well  a  will 
flow  provided  the  distance  from  the  ravine  be  considerable  and  the 
leakage  from  the  water-bearing  bed  into  the  ravine  not  too  great,  but 
the  well  Z>  will  probably  not  flow  because  of  this  leakage  into  the  ad- 
pjacent  ravine. 

The  well  at  c  might  not  yield  water  if  the  exposure  cf  the  water- 
bearing bed  was  limited  to  the  side  of  the  ravine  and  therefore  of 
small  area,  but  if  the  .bed  outcrops  over  considerable  area  of  the 
valley  floor  as  shown  in  the  figure,  a  flow  would  probably  be  obtained. 

Variations  in  the  Water-bearing  stratum. — In  two  principal 
ways  the  water-bearing  stratum  may  change  so  as  materially 
to  affect  the  artesian  prospects.  It  may  thin  down  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  dip  until  the  confining  impervious  beds  come  to- 
gether. Above  this  point  a  well  may  be  successful,  below  it  not. 
Again,  the  porous  bed  may  become  gradually  finer  and  finer  in 
texture,  or  it  may  be  gradually  replaced  by  silt  or  clay,  and  trm* 
the  transmission  of  the  water  may  be  clogged  or  prevented. 

Conditions  like  these  are  common  enough  in  the  Coastal 
Plain  region  and  from  the  very  nature  of  the  mode  of  accu- 
mulation of  off-shore  sediments,  are  normal,  for  -the  coarser 
materials  deposited  near  the  shore  are  succeeded  by  finer  tex- 
tured sands  and  by  silts  and  clays  as  the  distance  from  the  shore 
increases.  The  two  figures  below  will  illustrate  these  condi- 
tions. 


Fig.  15.  Section  illustrating  the  thinning  out  of  a  porous  water- 
bearing bed,  A,  enclosed  between  impervious  beds  B  and  C  thus 
furnishing  the  necessary  conditions  for  an  artesian  fountain  at 
D,  but  to  the  left  of  D  the  conditions  for  such  fountain  would  be 
absent.  (After  Chamberlin.) 


MODIFYING  CONDITIONS.  59 


Fig.  16.  Section  illustrating,  the  transition  of  a  porous  water- 
bearing bed  A,  into  a  close  textured  impervious  one.  Being  en- 
closed between  two  impervious  beds  B  and  C,  it  furnishes  the  con- 
ditions for  an  artesian  fountain  at  D,  but  not  for  one  to  the  right 
of  D  where  the  porous  bed  is  replaced  by  an  impervious  one.  (Af- 
ter Chamberlin.) 


Variations  in  the  confining  impervious  beds. — These  beds 
may  vary  in  texture  from  place  to  place,  or  they  may  be  cracked 
and  fissured  in  such  a  way  as  ta  permit  leakage  sufficient  to 
modify  very  materially  the  artesian  conditions.  Defects  in 
the  confining  bed  below  may  allow  leakage  into  a  lower  po- 
rous' bed  which  outcrops  at  a  lower  level,  thus  reducing  the 
effective  head  of  the  upper  water-bearer.  The  character  of  the 
confining  bed  above  is  even  more  important  than  that  of  the 
underlying  one,  for  the  water  being  under  pressure  will  be 
forced  through  it  unless  it  be  comparatively  water-tight  or 
else  very  thick,  and  thus  the  amount  of  water  available  to  the 
well  will  be  diminished  possibly  to  the  extent  of  preventing  a 
flow  altogether. 

The  efficiency  of  the  cover  increases  with  its  thickness  as 
may  be  easily  understood,  and  a  relatively  porous  cover  may 
under  certain  circumstances'  not  only  serve  as  a  confining  bed 
but  may  even  increase  the  yield  of  water.  This  will  be  the  case 
when  the  surface  of  the  country  between  the  fountain  head 
and  the  well  is  high  so  that  the  general  level  of  the  water  ta- 
ble is  above  the  outcrop  of  the  porous  water-bearing  bed. 

The  downward  pressure  of  this  groundwater  will  not  only 
prevent  the  upward  escape  of  the  artesian  water  but  may  even 
add  to  its  volume. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  country  between  fountain  head 
and  well  is  low  and  the  cover  on  that  account  comparatively 
thin,  there  will  be  some  leakage  unless  this  cover  is'  exception- 
ally impervious. 

In  this  way  the  occurrence  of  a  river  valley  between  the  foun- 
tain head  and  the  well  may  seriously  lessen  the  probabilities  of 


60 


ARTESIAN  WELLS. 


success  of  a  well,  even  when  the  artesian  system  lies  well  below 
the  floor  of  the  valley  and  the  cover  is  not  cut  by  the  bed  of  the 
stream. 

Other  modifying  conditions. — In  a  region  like  the  Coastal 
Plain  of  Alabama,  which  includes  a  number  of  artesian  sys- 
tems, other  complications  arise  from  irregularities  in  the  ex- 
tent and  in  the  order  and  distribution  of  the  various  strata. 
The  following  figures,  taken  or  adapted  from  Darton,*  are  in- 
troduced to  illustrate  a  few  of  the  cases  commonly  encountered. 


Fig.  17  Illustrates  the  case  where  an  impervious  bed  overlaps 
completely  the  intake  area  of  the  porous  bed,  thus  greatly  dimin- 
ishing or  cutting  off  its  water  supply.  This  pcrous  bed  may  be,  at 
other  points  along  its  outcrop,  bared  of  this  impervious  overlap  and 
thus  be  water-bearing. 

A 


Fig  18  Represents  the  occurrence  of  a  gravel  bed  completely 
enclosed  in  clays  so  that  no  water  can  accumulate  in  it,  and  a  well 
at  A  although  finding  favorable  materials  for  water  wculd  obtain 
none. 


Fig  19  Shows  the  case  where  gravelly  bedy  of  ancient  streams 
or  the  beaches  of  ancient  lakes  have  become  buried  under  the  later 
accumulations  of  impervious  materials  and  rest  on  the  same.  Two 
of  these  lines  of  gravel,  which  may  be  narrow  and  sinuous  but  which 
may  extend  fcr  miles,  are  here  shown  in  cross  section.  Unlike  the 
case  represented  in  the  preceding  figure,  the  gravels  are  not  com- 
pletely enclosed  in  clays,  but  in  other  parts  of  their  courses  are 
bared  of  the  impervious  cover  and  have  thus  become  water-bearing. 
Wells  at  AA  which  go  down  into  the  ancient  channels  would  be  suc- 
cessful, while  those  at  B  and  B  wholly  in  the  impervious  material 
would  net. 

*Bulletin  No.  138.    U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


STRATA    IN    ALABAMA    COASTAL    PLAIN.  61 


In  Fig.  20  the  conditions  would  appear  to  be  favorable  for  water 
at  A  in  the  gravels  between  the  upper  clay  beds,  but  the  water  does 
not  accumulate,  for  it  is  free  to  flow  over  the  edge  of  the  clay  into 
lower  gravels,  where  it  would  be  found  in  a  deep  well,  as  at  B. 


ARRANGEMENT  OP  THE    STRATA   IN  THE   ALABAMA 
COASTAL  PLAIN. 

The  most  favorable  disposition  of  the  strata  actually  exist- 
ing in  Alabama,  as  has  been  said  above,  is  found  in  the  Coastal 
Plain  region,  which  is  underlain  by  the  sediments  of  the  Cre- 
taceous and  Tertiary  formations,  consisting  of  beds  of  sand, 
clay,  and  limestone,  and  others  of  intermediate  character  in 
many  alternations.  These  lie  in  great  sheets  thinning  out  land- 
ward and  increasing  in  thickness  toward  the  Gulf,  thus  making 
a  great  flat  wedge  resting  on  the  Gulf  ward  sloping  floor  of  the 
older  rocks.* 

The  ground  surface  in  the  Coastal  Plain  sinks  from  an  alti- 
tude of  about  600  feet  near  the  landward  margin  to  the  level 
of  the  s'ea  in  the  two  coast  counties  though  there  are  places  in 
Baldwin  County  where  the  land  has  an  altitude  of  fifty  feet 
or  more  on  the  very  border  of  Perdido  Bay,  and  high  land, 
100  feet  and  more  in  altitude,  exists  in  both  Mobile  and  Bald- 
win a  few  miles  from  the  Gulf. 

The  strata  themselves  have  also  a  general  dip  or  incline  to- 
ward the  Gulf,  but  at  a  more  rapid  rate  than  that  of  the  land 
surface,  this  dip  being  from  25  to  40  feet  to  the  mile,  and  aver- 
aging perhaps  30  feet.  The  conditions  are  thus  afforded  for 

*Very  few  cf  the  artesian  borings  in  Alabama  have  gone  down 
to  this  floor,  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  surface  out- 
crops of  the  older  formations.  The  borings  at  Tuskegee  have  pene- 
trated the  granitic  rocks  underlying  that  section;  and  at  Tuscaloosa, 
borings  within  a  distance  of  one  cr  two  miles  south  of  the  las1; 
appearance  of  the  rocks  of  the  Coal  Measures  in  the  bed  of  the  river 
at  the  bridge,  have  reached  these  rocks  and  penetrated  them  to  con- 
siderable depths;  but  beyond  that  distance  none  has  gone  through 
the  strata  of  the  Cretaceous  which  here  overlie  the  Ccal  Measures. 


62 


ARTESIAN  WELLS. 


many  artesian  systems.  The  low  relief  of  the  country  makes 
impossible,  however,  the  great  hydrostatic  pressure  observed 
in  the  mountainous  regions. 

All  this  may  be  made  clear  by  the  accompanying  diagram, 
taken  with  slight  modification  from  Darton's  Report  on  Arte- 
sian Well  Prospects  in  the  Atlantic  Coastal  Plain,*  to  which 
paper  I  am  indebted  for  many  valuable  suggestions. 


Tertiary 


Fig.  21.     Section  from  north  to  south  across  the  Alabama  Coastal 
Plain  illustrating  its  artesian  conditions. 

i 
DECLINE    OR    FAILURE    OF    ARTESIAN    WELLS. 

The  causes  of  decline  in  the  flow  of  artesian  wells  and  their 
detection,  have  been  fully  discussed  in  the  article  of  Prof. 
Chamberlin,  which  those  interested  in  the  subject  should  con- 
sult. In  this  report  we  can  make  only  brief  mention  of  some 

of  the  most  obvious  of  these. 
i 

Increase  of  leakage  is  responsible  for  most  of  this  trouble, 
and  is  likely  to  occur  when  the  well  is  not  piped  its  whole1 
depth  and  especially  when  the  boring  is  through  limestone,  the 
capillary  passages  and  cracks  in  which  may  be  gradually  en- 
larged by  solution,  thus  allowing  the  water  to  escape. 

Iron  rusts  quickly,  especially  if  there  are  corrosive  ingredi- 
ents in  the  water,  and  the  piping  thus  rendered  defective  may 
cause  much  loss  from  leakage. 

Closure  of  the  bore. — Soft  and  plastic  beds  like  those  of 
clay  and  shale,  and  loose  ones  like  those  of  sand  where  the  pres- 
sure is  great,  may  yield  and  tend  to  close  the  bore.  Or  the  wa- 
ter-bearing rock  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  well  may  be- 
come clogged  by  the  deposition  of  fine  silt  in  its  pores,  or  by 
some  form  of  organic  life,  or  by  a  deposit  of  iron. 

Decline  from  exhaustion. — If  there  is  but  a  limited  accumu- 
lation of  water  in  the  distant  elevated  edge  of  the  porous  bed 

*Bulletin  No.  138,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  p.  18. 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WATER.  63 

and  it  is  not  promptly  renewed  from  the  surface,  the  well  may 
gradually  draw  it  off.  A  decreasing  flow  from  this  cause  will 
fluctuate  with  the  rainfall  and  will  renew  itself  with  returning 
wet  seasons.  But  too  heavy  drafts  on  the  capacity  of  the  water- 
bearing stratum  by  increase  in  the  number  of  wells  will  be  sure 
to  cause  a  gradual  failure  of  the  artesian  basin,  for  while  the 
water  supply  is'  constantly  renewed  it  may  easily  happen  that 
the  drains  upon  the  basin  may  be  greater  than  the  supply.  Of 
all  causes  of  decline  this  is  probably  the  most  common.  The  ob- 
vious remedy  would  be  the  attaching  of  spigots  or  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  outlets,  by  which  too  great  waste  would  be  pre- 
vented. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  WATER. 

C 

Temperature. — It  is  a  fact  derived  from  observation  that 
below  the  depth  at  which  the  daily  and  yearly  fluctuations  of 
temperature  are  felt,  the  temperature  of  the  earth  increases 
with  the  depth  at  a  rate  which  varies  with  the  different  mate- 
rials' encountered,  but  which  may  be  put  at  an  average  of  one 
degree  of  Fahrenheit  for  every  fifty  feet  of  descent.  In  our 
latitude  the  depth  of  the  level  of  invariable  temperature  as  it 
has  been  called,  is  roughly  speaking  about  100  feet.  Below 
this,  the  increase  of  heat  with  the  descent  should  be  felt. 
Waters  coming  from  great  depths  would  thus  be  expected  to 
have  a  higher  temperature  than  those  which  have  a  more  su- 
perficial origin,  and  many  tests  of  temperature  have  shown  this 
to  be  the  case.  The  first  attempt  to  prove  this'  by  the  records 
of  Alabama  artesian  wells,  was  made  by  Dr.  Alexander  Win- 
chell  in  1856,  while  he  was  in  charge  of  a  school  near  Eutaw. 
The  results  of  Dr.  Winchell's  tests  were  published  by  him  in 
the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Science,  for  the  year  1856.  The  temperatures  given 
vary  from  64  degrees  to  77.5  degrees,  and  the  depths  of  the 
wells  from  90  to  728  feet.  The  mean  annual  temperature  of 
that  part  of  the  state  (temperature  of  the  invariable  stratum) 
is  not  far  from  64  degrees. 

After  rejecting  a  number  of  observations  which  were  obvi- 
ously erroneous,  the  average  shown  by  the  records  was  an  in- 
crease of  I  degree  for  every  44.96  feet. 


64  ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

It  is  obvious  that  artesian  wells  do  not  afford  the  best  means 
for  establishing  this  rate  of  increase,  for  the  reason  that  in  them 
the  water  almost  always  comes  from  several  horizons  and  thus 
the  temperature  of  the  flow  is  likely  to  be  lower  than  that  of 
the  deepest  source.  Still,  it  is  very  evident  that  the  temperature 
of  the  water  increases  with  the  depth  of  the  well,  though  the 
rate  of  this  increase  cannot  be  established  by  observations  of 
the  temperature,  except  in  such  cases  where  it  is  certain  that 
the  water  comes  from  only  one  horizon. 

Mineral  Ingredients. — Water  which  has  long  remained  in 
contact  with  the  strata  of  the  earth  will  have  taken  into  solu- 
tion a  portion  of  the  ingredients  of  those  strata,  and  the  pro- 
portion of  dissolved  ingredients  will  be  greater  in  proportion 
to  the  length  of  time  of  such  contact  and  the  temperature  there 
prevailing.  Waters  which  come  from  the  greatest  depths  are 
therefore  on  both  accounts  likely  to  be  more  fully  saturated 
with  soluble  matters  than  those  which  come  from  shallow 
depths  only.  We  have  seen  above  that  the  movements  of 
groundwaters  at  considerable  depths  must  be  exceedingly  slow 
giving  them  more  time  to  effect  solution.  But  on  the  other 
hand  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  amount  of  soluble  mat- 
ter which  different  strata  contain,  and  it  might  easily  happen 
that  the  water  from  a  well  of  moderate  depth  would  come  from 
a  bed  with  a  large  proportion  of  s'oluble  salts,  while  one  from 
a  greater  depth  might  derive  its  water  from  a  stratum  of 
nearly  pure  sand  containing  a  minimum  of  such  salts.  It  is 
thus  probable  that  the  dissolved  salts:  of  an  artesian  water  are 
far  more  dependent  upon  the  character  of  the  water-bearing 
beds  than  upon  the  depth  and  temperature.  As  the  flow  con- 
tinues1, the  water  which  formed  the  original  reservoir  with  a 
maximum  of  dissolved  salts,  would  gradually  be  drawn  off 
and  its  place  would  be  taken  by  water  which  had  not  so  long 
been  in  contact  with  the  rocks.  A  slight  dimunition  of  the  pro- 
portion of  dissolved  salts  might  therefore  in  time  be  percep- 
tible if  the  flow  were  very  generous. 

Inasmuch  as  most  of  the  strata  of  the  Coastal  Plain  of  A1a- 
bama  are  marine  sediments,  it  would  naturally  be  inferred  that 
the  s'oluble  materials  enclosed  in  them  and  thus  given  up  to 
the  circulating  waters,  would  be  such  as  were  originally  held 
in  solution  in  the  sea  water.  The  chief  one  of  these  is  common 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WATER.  65 

salt  or  chloride  of  sodium,  and  along  with  it  are  smaller  quan- 
tities of  the  chlorides  and  sulphates  of  potassium,  magnesium, 
and  calcium.  In  some  of  the  artesian  waters  the  carbonate? 
predominate,  such  as  carbonates  of  sodium,  calcium,  magne- 
sium, and  potassium.  These  waters  are,  in  some  cases  at  least, 
derived  from  fresh  water  sediments. 

In  the  next  Chapter  are  given  many  analyses'  of  the  waters 
from  the  different  parts  of  the  state  and  from  the  different 
geological  formations,  which  will  partially  illustrate  this 
subject. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DETAILED  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  UNDERGROUND 
WATERS  OF  ALABAMA. 

APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 


TALLADEGA  MOUNTAINS  AND  ASHLAND  PLATEAU.     (IGNEOUS 
AND  METAMORPHIC  ROCKS.) 


SURFACE  FEATURES. 

In  the  geological  sketch  above  it  has  been  shown  that  the 
rocks  underlying  the  Appalachian  division  of  the  State  are  more 
or  less'  crystalline  in  texture,  and  below  a  moderate  depth  usu- 
allly  very  densely  compacted  and  practically  impervious.  Near 
the  surface  they  are  often  much  fractured  and  fissured,  but  the 
crevices  offer  very  limited  and  uncertain  channels  for  the  trans- 
mission of  ground  water.  Most  of  these  rocks  display  at  the 
surface  division  planes  of  schistosity,  dipping  generally  toward 
the  southeast,  but  open  passages  along  these  lines  are  likewise 
superficial,  so  that  at  best  in  the  original  rocks  the  conditions 
are  wanting,  or  at  least  very  unfavorable,  for  the  storage  or 
transmission  of  ground  water. 

1 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

By  the  action  of  atmospheric  agencies  the  rocks  throughout 
this  area  are  more  or  less  completely  covered  'by  a  mantle  of 
clayey  sand,  the  result  of  their  decay.  In  favorable  locations, 
where  this  residual  matter  is  not  disturbed  by  rains,  it  is 
possible  to  trace  the  progress  of  the  decay  from  the  structure- 
less clays  through  rotten  slates  down  to  the  unaltered  crystal- 
lime  rock.  In  some  places  the  decay  penetrates  to  great  depths, 
100  feet  or  more.  Very  frequently  the  residual  matter  has  been 


TALLADEGA  MOUNTAIN  AND  ASHLAND  PLATEAU.          67 

removed  from  the  place  of  its  origin,  having  slid  down  slopes 
and  accumulated  in  lowlying  lands,  leaving  the  comparatively 
fresh  rock  bare  at  the  summits  and  along  the  exposed  cliffs. 
The  surface  mantle  thus  provided,  being  a  mixture  of  clayey 
matter  with  fragments  of  quartz  and  other  undecomposed  min- 
erals', is  sufficiently  porous  to  absorb  and  transmit  with  readi- 
ness water  falling  upon  it.  The  moisture  is  thus  diffused  gen- 
erally throughout  the  mass,  descending  until  held  in  check  by 
the  nearly  impervious  undecomposed  rock  below.  The  ground 
water  can  therefore  be  utilized  by  means  of  ordinary  shallow 
wells  and  springs,  but  on  account  of  the  discontinuous  charac- 
ter of  the  surface  accumulations'  the  supply  of  water  is  in  places 
somewhat  limited  and  liable  to  failure  in  seasons  of  drought. 

A  good  many  bored  wells  have  been  sunk  in  this  residual  ma- 
terial especially  in  Chilton  county,  about  Thorsby,  by  Mr.  I.  E. 
Sarber.  These  wells  get  water  at  depths  varying  from  60  to 
100  feet,  in  a  clean  yellow  sand  underlying  a  hard  yellow  or  blue 
clay,  and  resting  on  the  solid  granitic  rock  of  the  country.- 
Into  this  rock  the  borings  have  pentrated  as1  much  as  60  feet 
without  any  yield  of  water.  There  is  generally  some  rise  of 
water  in  the  wells,  the  usual  stand  being  from  30  to  70  feet 
below  the  surface. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 

The  Hillabee  schist  is  the  source  of  a  number  •  of  mineral 
springs,  the  most  important  of  which  are  Chandler's,  Chambers', 
and  Jenkins',  all  situated  on  the  eastern  flank  of  the  Talladega 
Mountain  range.  A  sample  of  the  water  from  Chandler's 
Spring  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges,  with  the  following 
results : 

Analysis  of  water   from   Chandler's  spring. 

Parts  per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    3.3 

Sodium    (Na)    7.5 

Magnesium    (Mg) 103 

Calcium    (Ca)    37.7 

Iron    (Fe)    4.3 

Alumina    (A12O3)    4.4 

Chlorine   (Cl) 1.7 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    9.5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   186. Q 

Silica 55.1 


68  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

This  is  an  alkaline-saline  water  which,  from  the  relatively 
large  amounts  of  iron  and  the  sulphates  of  potassium  and  mag- 
nesium, should  poss'ess  some  medicinal  quality. 

The  water  from  Chambers  Springs,  a  few  miles  distant  from 
Chandlers'  and  derived  from  the  same  source, — the  Hillabee 
Schist — has  somewhat  similar  though  not  identical  composi- 
tion, as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges. 

Analysis  of  water  Chamber's  Spring.     "Sulphur  Spring." 


Potassium   (K) 

Parts  per  million. 
3 

Sodium    (Na)    ... 

5  5 

Magnesium  (Mg)   
Calcium   (Ca) 

19.2 
39  0 

Iron    and    Alumina    (Fe2O3,Al2Os) 

3  3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    ,  

3.0 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4) 

5  4 

Carbonic    acid    (HCOs)       

Silica    (SiOg) 

56  7 

350.2 


ARTESIAN    PROSPECTS. 

In  the  surface  beds  of  residual  soils  and  other  products  of 
decomposition  the  conditions  are  unfavorable  to  the  success  of 
artesian  borings,  since  these  beds'  are  not  continuous  over  large 
areas  and  are  lacking  in  alternations  of  pervious  and  imper- 
vious strata  with  gentle  inclination.  In  the  underlying  solid 
rocks  the  conditions  for  artesian  water  can  not  be  said  to  be 
much  more  favorable,  for  while  these  rocks  attain,  especially 
near  the  surface,  s'ome  degree  of  permeability  by  reason  of  the 
joints  and  fissures  by  which  they  are  traversed,  these  channels 
are  not  likely  to  be  continuous  for  any  great  distance  nor  to 
be  present  at  any  great  depth ;  moreover,  their  position  can  not 
be  determined  beforehand  and  there  is  no  certainty  about  strik- 
ing them.  Almost  any  boring  into  these  rocks  will  directly  fill 
with  water,  but  only  under  favorable  local  conditions  is'  the 
amount  likely  to  be  sufficient  to  meet  very  large  demands. 


TALLADEGA   MOUNTAIN   AND  ASHLAND   PLATEAU. 


69 


The  manner  in  which  the  joints  may  serve  as  waterways  for 
artesian  supply  is  illustrated  by  the  accompanying  figure  after 
M.  L.  Fuller.* 


Fig.  22.    Well  in  jointed  rock. 

The  figure  will  also  show  how  it  is  possible  for  polluted  water 
to  pass  along  thes'e  joints  into  the  well. 

On  general  principles  then,  the  area  of  the  igneous  and  meta- 
morphic  rocks  may  be  considered  as  unfavorable  for  artesian 
water  prospects,  and  experience  in  many  States  bears  this  out. 
On  the  other  hand  by  increasing  the  number  of  borings  within 
a  limited  space,  it  is  often  possible  to  obtain  an  adequate  sup- 
ply. This  has  been  demonstrated  at  Lanett  in  Chambers  county. 
Recent  studies'  have  also  thrown  some  light  on  the  a-rtesian  con- 
ditions of  the  crystalline  rocks,  and  Mr.  Fullert  expresses  the 
opinion  that  it  is  possible  by  means  of  careful  examination  to 
determine  in  advance  the  probabilities  of  the  success  of  a  well 
within  a  margin  of  anly  a  few  per  cent,  of  error. 

The  number  of  well  records  from  this  section  of  the  Appa- 
lachian Division,  is  at  present  quite  small,  but  the  use  of  the 
drill  is  steadily  increasing. 


*Water  Supply  Paper  No.  114,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  page  28. 
tEconomic  Geology,  Vol.  I.  page  567. 


70  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

LANETT    WELLS. 

In  1897  and  '98  eight  wells  were  bored  for  the  L-anett  Bleachery  and 
Dye  Works  at  Lanett  in  Chambers  County.  The  first  well  as  93  feet  deep 
through  soil  and  loose  rock  only.  It  yielded  thirty-six  gallons  per  minute. 

Well  No.  2  was  bored  248  feet,  113  feet  through  solid  rock  which  is  of 
granite.  This  well  yields  29  gallons. 

Well  No.  3,  is  467  feet  deep,  390  feet  being  in  solid  rock;  yield  62  gal- 
lons per  minute. 

Well  No.  4,  703  feet  deep,  610  in  solid  rock;  yield  62  gallons  per  minute. 

Well  No.  5,  460  feet  deep,  390  feet  through  rock;  yield  17  gallons  per 
minute. 

Well  No.  6,  record  similar  to  that  of  No.  5. 

Well  No.  7,  690  feet  deep,  500  feet  in  solid  rock.  Original  yield  about 
90  gallons  per  minute. 

Well  No.  8,   1064  feet  deep,  984  through  rock;  yield  only  30  gallons. 

These  wells  are  in  an  area  of  350  or  450  feet  radius.  The 
rock,  as  above  stated,  is'  a  blue  granite  with  seams  or  veins  of 
flint  rock,  and  from  this  flint  rock  comes  all  the  water  obtained 
from  the  wells.  In  boring  the  eighth  well,  the  water  from  the 
two  nearest  wells  was  reduced,  from  which  it  has'  been  inferred 
that  the  group  of  wells  takes  up  practically  all  the  water  avail- 
able within  the  area.  The  piping  down  to  solid  rock  was  all 
six  inches  in  diameter.  The  water  is  considered  very  pure.  It 
contains  a  trace  of  magnesia,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
water  from  the  surface  well,  appears  to  be  free  from  lime. 
Information  concerning  these  wells  is  furnis'hed  by  Mr.  L.  La- 
nier,  President  of  the  Lanett  Cotton  Mills. 

ALEXANDER   CITY    WELLS. 

Well  No.  1,  depth,  525  feet;  depth  to  water,  250  feet;  diameter,  10  inches; 
depth  of  casing  60  feet,  to  rock;  height  of  water,  17  feet;  wields,  45  gal- 
lons per  minute;  after  lowering  the  sand  to  100  feet  there  was  no  further 
change  by  pumping;  use,  for  fire  purposes  only;  method  of  pumping,  air 
compressor;  total  solids,  415.94  parts  per  million;  volatile  and  organic 
matter,  112.98  parts  per  million;  temporary  hardness  46.22  parts  per  mil- 
lion; permanent  hardness,  179.76  parts  per  million;  mineral  constituents, 
chlorine,  lime,  and  magnesia  relatively  abundant,  sulphuric  acid,  iron, 
and  alumina  in  small  amount. 

Well  No.  2,  depth,  350  feet;  depth  to  water,  250  feet;  diameter,  10 
inches;  depth  of  casing  60  feet,  to  rock;  yield,  60  gallons  per  minute; 
height  of  water,  17  feet;  stand  has  not  been  lowered  by  pumping  below 
100  feet;  total  solids,  461.7  parts  per  million;  volatile  and  organic  matter, 
51.3  parts  per  million;  temporary  hardness,  47.93  parts  per  million;  per- 
manent hardness,  172.89  parts  per  million;  mineral  constituents,  chlorine, 
lime,  and  magnesia  relatively  abundant,  sulphuric  acid,  iron,  and  alumina 
in  small  amount. 

The  composition  of  the  water  from  the  two  wells  appeared  to  be 
substantially  the  same. 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  71 

AUBURN,  LEE  COUNTY. 

A  well  was  bored  at  Auburn  in  1899  by  M.  L.  Fullan,  the 
details  of  which  will  be  found  in  the  description  of  Lee  County 
in  the  Coastal  Plain  division  below. 

APPALACHIAN  VALLEYS. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  geological  formations  occurring  in  the  Appalachian  .val- 
leys range  from  Cambrian  up  to  Lower  Carboniferous  inclu- 
sive. The  prevailing  rocks  are  limestones  and  dolomites,  but 
along  with  them  are  subordinate  beds  of  shale,  sandstone,  and 
conglomerate. 

The  great  limestone  formation  is  the  Knox  dolomite,  which 
occupies  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  entire  area.  Of  less 
importance  are  the  Trenton  and  Tuscumbia  (Lower  Carbon- 
iferous) limestones,  which  usually  outcrop  only  along  the  mar- 
gins of  the  valleys  or  the  bases  of  the  bordering  hills. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  Cambrian  occur  the  most  important 
bodies  of  shale,  which  underlie  large  areas'  in  the  Coosa  Valley 
and  smaller  ones  in  the  central  parts  of  the  lesser  valleys.  Other 
bodies  of  shale  inclosing  beds  of  sandstone,  occur  among  the 
strata  of  Clinton  (Red  Mountain)  ridges.  Still  other  shales 
make  a  large  part  of  the  area  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous1  along 
the  western  border  of  the  Coosa  Valley. 

The  sandstones  are  fairly  well  distributed  among  the  various 
formations,  but  the  greatest  bodies,  including  conglomerates, 
are  found  in  the  Coosa  Valley,  where  they  rise  into  veritable 
mountains.  The  sandstones  of  the  Clinton  (Red  Mountain) 
ridges  and  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous1  formations  may  under 
certain  conditions  be  of  importance  in  connection  with  artesian 
prospects,  which  are  considered  below. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

While  the  rocks  of  this  subdivision  are  not  as  a  rule  char- 
acterized by  any  serviceable  degree  of  porosity,  as  will  be  seen 
later,  yet  they  are  all  covered  more  or  less  completely  by  soils4 
and  other  residual  matters  resulting  from  their  decay  and 


72  .DETAILS:    APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

weathering,  and  these  surface  accumulations  are  fairly  well 
adapted  to  the  absorption  and  storage  of  the  rainfall,  so  that 
springs  and  open  wells  are  common  throughout  this  area  ex- 
cept where  it  is  too  thoroughly  underdrained  by  cavernous  lime- 
stones. As  is  the  case,  however,  with  all  residual  accumula- 
tions, these  surface  beds  are  not  commonly  in  continuous  bo- 
dies of  great  extent  and  thus  their  water  supply  is  more  or  less 
clos'ely  dependent  on  local  rainfall. 

Of  much  greater  importance  in  this  connection  are  the  great 
limestone  springs,  or  "big  springs,"  especially  of  the  Knox 
dolomite  and  in  less  degree  of  the  Tuscumbia  (Lower  Carbon- 
iferous) limestones.  Both  these  limestones,  in  some  parts',  are 
highly  siliceous  or  cherty,  and  like  all  limestones  are  traversed 
near  the  surface  by  fissures,  channels,  and  caverns',  formed  or 
enlarged  by  the  solvent  action  of  the  circulating  waters,  which 
also,  dissolving  the  purer  parts  of  the  limestone,  leave  behind 
the  chert  in  great  open  masses  of  the  highest  degree  of  per- 
meability. In  consequence  of  these  conditions  much  of  the 
rainfall  in  these  terranes  finds  it  t  way  sooner  or  later  into  these 
subterranean  channels  forming  streams  which  emerge  as  "big 
springs/' 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  wells  or  borings  may  sometimes' 
hnprcn  to  be  sunk  on  one  of  these  underground  streams,  from 
which  large  supplies  of  water  may  be  obtained  by  pumping, 
though  in  the  nature  of  things  the  water  is  not  likely  to  rise  in 
the  wells,  having  free  outlet  through  the  underground  chan- 
nel. In  Birmingham,  and  probably  in  many  other  places,  such 
streams  have  been  utilized  by  air-lift  appliances. 

It  would  be  hardly  possible  to  enumerate  all  the  great  lime- 
stone springs  of  this  section,  but  the  following  are  well  known ; 
In  the  Coosa  Valley,  the  springs  about  Piedmont,  Alexandria, 
Jacksonville,  Coldwater  Spring  near  Anniston,  Oxford,  Tal- 
ladega  town,  Kelley's  above  Talladega,  Fayetteville,  Monte- 
vallo,  etc. ;  in  the  lesser  valleys,  Village  Springs,  Springville, 
Hawkins,  Elyton,  Bessemer,  or  Jonesboro,  Bucksville,  Tanne- 
hill,  Roup's,  Guntersville. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 

The  mineral  waters  of  the  Appalachian  valleys  show  a  great 
variety  in  their  composition  on  account  of  the  variety  of  mate- 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  73 

rials  making  up  the  formations  in  which  they  are  found.  The 
most  prolific  sources  of  these  mineral  waters  are,  perhaps,  the 
ferruginous,  calcareous'  shales  of  the  Cambrian,  and  the  black 
bituminous  shales  of  the  Devonian  and  Lower  Carboniferous; 
and  the  most  common  mineral  waters  from  these  formations 
are  sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters,  usually  more  or  less  closely 
associated,  making  classification  rather  difficult. 

SULPHUR  AND  CHALYBEATE  WATERS. 
JONES   SPRINGS. 

Seven  miles'  southwest  of  Gadsden  on  the  Ashville  road,  in 
the  N.  E.  quarter,  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  I,  Township  13, 
Range  5  E.,  is  a  white  sulphur  spring  on  the  place  of  Mr.  Jones. 
The  spring  flows  daily  from  800  to  1000  gallons  and  the  water 
is  very  agreeable  to  the  taste.  On  the  same  land  there  is  a 
large  spring  coming  out  of  the  limestone  formation. 

ST.   CLAIR   SPRINGS. 

Farther  southwest  in  Section  3,  Township  15,  Range  2  E., 
are  the  St.  Clair  Sulphur  Springs.  The  waters  come  from  the 
limestones  overlying  thin-bedded  calcerous  shales  of  the  "Flat- 
woods."  They  are  pleasant  to  the  taste  and  not  too  strongly 
impregnated  with  sulphur.  Ample  accommodations  are  pro- 
vided for  visitors. 

/ 

There  are  six  springs  along  a  brook  running  a  little  east  of  north. 
The  first  five  in  order  of  occurrence  from  the  south,  are  (1)  Black  Sul- 
phur, (2)  Sulphur,  (3)  Freestone,  (4)  White  Sulphur,  and  (5)  Red  Sulphur. 
No.  6,  a  short  distance  west  of  No.  5  is  known  as  Lithia  Spring.  Nos.  1 
and  2  are  considerably  stronger  in  sulphur  than  either  No.  4  or  No.  5, 
but  in  other  respects  are  similar.  All  the  sulphur  waters  contain  lithium 
and  traces  of  barium  and  strontium.  No  lithium  could  be  detected  in 
No.  6,  which  is  also  free  from  barium  and  strontium.  The  temperatures 
of  the  waters  were,  No.  4,  66.5°;  No.  5,  63.5°;  and  No.  6,60.5°,  the  tem- 
perature of  the  air  at  the  same  time  being  73.8°. 


74  DETAILS  :     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from,  springs  No.  4,  5  and  6,  St.  Glair. 


Potassium    (K) 

Part 

No.  4 
1  2 

s  per  million. 
No.  5       No.  6 
1.8               .6 
23.6             3.5 
stg.  trace,    none 
14.8           17.3 
31.8           37.5 
trace, 
trace. 
2.2            1.3 
11.5             4.1 
4.8 
170.0         161.2 
8.2 
16.9           18.4 

Sodium    (Na)    
Lithium    (Li) 

8.3 
trace 

Magnesium    (Mg)    
Calcium    (Ca) 

16.4 
36  9 

Barium    (Ba)    

trace, 
trace. 

Strontium   (Sr)    

Iron  and  alumina   (Fe2O3,  A12O3)  .  . 
Chlorine   (Cl)    

2.2 
4  9 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4) 

Carbonic   acid   (HCOs)    

209  1 

Sulphuretted   hydrogen   (H2S)  

.3 

Silica    (SiOs) 

13  3 

292.6 

280.8 

248.7 

No.  4  "White  sulphur." 
No.  5  "Red  Sulphur." 
No.  6  "Lithia." 


TALLADEGA    SPRINGS. 

Both  sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters  are  found  at  Talla- 
dega  Springs,  Plate  III,  but  their  origin  is  difficult  to  determine 
with  certainty,  since  the  springs  arise  from  the  limestones  .at 
the  foot  of  mountains  of  the  Weisner  quartzite  (Cambrian). 
Inasmuch  as  these  mountains  are  mostly  in  contact  with  much 
younger  strata  on  me  north  by  reason  of  faulting,  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  springs  have  their  origin  in  the  Devonian  or 
Lower  Carboniferous  black  shales,  both  of  which  appear  in  the 
near  vicinity,  though  the  rock  from  which  the  water  issues 
s'eems  to  be  the  Pelham  limestone.  There  are  many  conven- 
iences for  visitors  here  and  the  waters  are  well  known. 

Below  is  an  analysis  of  this  water  by  Prof.  W.  C.  Stubbs 
taken  from  Bulletin  32,  U.  S.  G.  S.  1886  but  recomputed  to 
ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  by  Mr.  Hodges. 

Determinations  by  Mr.  Hodges  of  the  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
of  this  water  in  1904  and  1905  gave  only  about  19  parts  per 
million. 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  75 

Analysis  of  water  from  Talladega  Springs. 


Potassium   (K)            

Parts   per   million. 
77.4 

Sodium    (Na) 

127  7 

Magnesium    (Mg) 

4.6 

Calcium  (Ca)     

115.3 

24  8 

Iron     (Fe) 

trace 

Chlorine   (Cl) 

55  5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SOi) 

131.7 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)     

368.0 

539  2 

Silica  (SiO2) 

42.5 

1486.7 


SHELBY    SPRINGS. 

Shelby  Springs,  in  Section  14,  Township  21,  Range  I  W., 
(Plate  IV)  comprising  two  sulphur  springs  with  white  deposits, 
a  chalybeate  spring,  and  a  magnesium  spring,  come  from  the 
black  shale  of  the  Subcarboniferous,  which  here  underlies  so 
much  territory.  In  the  near  vicinity  is  a  large  limestone 
spring. 

The  composition  of  one  of  the  sulphur  waters  of  Shelby 
Springs',  viz.,  that  from  a  spring  near  the  pavilion  shown  in 
Plate  IV,  is  given  in  the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Shelby  Springs,  "White  Sulphur." 


Parts    per    million. 


Potassium   (K)    1.2 

Sodium    (Na)    7.3 

Magnesium    (Mg) 7.9 

Calcium  (Ca) 47.8 

Iron   and   Alumina   (Fe2O3,A.l2O3) 1.3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    2.4 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    : 9.6 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  '  80.1 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen   (H«S)    .8 

Sili'ca    (SiO2) 36.4 


194.! 


HAWKINS     WELL. LEEDS     MINERAL     WATER. 

This  well  is  near  the  line  of  the  Southern  Railway,  in  Jef- 
ferson County  a  mile  or  two  east  of  Leeds,  (Plate  V).     The 


76  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

well  is  near  the  boundary  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  is  an  ordi- 
nary open  well  about  50  feet  deep.  The  composition  of  the 
water  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  analysis,  by  Mr.  Hodges. 

Analysis  of  Leeds  Mineral  Water;  Hawkins  Well. 


Parts  per    million. 

Potassium   (K)    6.7 

Sodium    (Na) 20.5 

Magnesium  (MgO  .9 

Calcium   (Ca)    2.5 

Iron    (Pe)    2.1 

Aluminum  (Al)   4.6 

Chlorine   (Cl)    20.5 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    35.2 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    34.5 

Silica    (SlOa)     19.9 


147.4 


The  well  is  in  Subcarboniferous'  starta  at  the  eastern  foot  of 
Little  Oak  Mountain,  in  the  Cahaba  Valley.  This  water  is 
bottled  and  has  an  extensive  sale  in  the  State. 

ALABAMA    WHITE    SULPHUR    SPRINGS. 

These  springs  are  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Section  10, 
Township  4,  Range  10  E.,  in  Wills  Valley,  Dekalb  County. 
The  surface  rocks  at  the  springs  are  the  cherty  limestones  of 
the  Subcarboniferous1,  but  the  underlying  Devonian  shale  is 
undoubtedly  the  source  of  the  sulphur  water.  This  black  shale 
is  rich  in  iron  pryrites  and  its  decomposition  produces  the  sul- 
phur. There  are  here  five  springs  (Plate  VI),  three  of  which 
are  more  or  less  impregnated  with  sulphur,  though  none  of 
them  very  strongly. 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY   OF   ALABAMA.  UNDERGROUND   WATER   RESOURCES.      PLATE    V. 


HAWKINS  WELL.     (LEEDS  MINERAL  WATER),  JEFFERSON  COUNTY. 


V5-' 

OF  THE     " 

'ERSTi 
'  \-     OF 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 
(-A  I   '  r  r\  o  Kl  \  KJ 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  77 

Mr.  Hodges  has  analyzed  the  waters  from  two  of  the  springs, 
viz,  the  White  Sulphur  and  the  Freestone,  with  the  results  given 
below : 

Analyses  of  water  from  Alabama  White  Sulphur  Springs. 


Parts  per  million. 
No.  1  No.  2 


Potassium   (K)    

3  2 

trace 

Sodium    (Na)    

15.7 

1.8 

Lithium    (Li) 

trace 

Magnesium     (Mg)     

55  8 

5  3 

Calcium  (Ca) 

118  3 

74  6 

Iron    (Fe)    

6 

Alumina   (A12O3)    ,  

1.3 

2  1 

Chlorine   (Cl) 

4  2 

1  4 

Sulphuric   acid    (SOi)    

304  2 

10  5 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO<>)    

294.5 

246  2 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen   (H^S) 

8  1 

Silica    (SiO2)     

25  8 

11  0 

831.8 

353.5 

No.  i  "White  sulphur." 
No.  2  "Freestone." 

The  Plate  (VI)  shows  the  White  Sulphur  Spring,  No.  i,  in 
the  foreground,  and  the  Freestone  Spring,  No.  2,  in  the  back- 
ground. 


BLOUNT    SPRINGS    AND    VICINITY. 

The  most  noted  sulphur  springs  in  the  State  are  the  Blount 
Springs,  situated  near  the  end  of  Sequatchee  (Browns)  Val- 
ley, in  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  6,  Township  13,  Range 
2  W. 

The  plate,  No.  VII,  s'hows  the  pavilion  at  Blount  and  the 
positions  of  the  several  springs  mentioned  below;  while  the 
diagram,  figure  23.  will  make  these  positions  more  definite,  and 
will  serve  for  their  better  identification. 

The  little  marble  basins  in  front  of  the  pavilion  mark  the 
places  of  most  of  the  springs. 


78 


DETAILS  I       APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 


Fig.  23.     Diagram  of  Blount  Springs. 


Quantitative  analyses  of  the  water  of  three  of  these  springs 
have  been  made  by  Mr.  Hodges,  and  qualitative  examinations 
of  three  others1,  with  the  results  given  below. 

Analyses  of  Blount  Springs  Sulphur  Waters. 


Potassium   (K)   

Part 
No.  1 
14  2 

s  per  million. 
No.  2        No.  3 
13.8           11.8 
232.0         217.8 
*                * 

24.9           23.1 
53.2           50.6 
*                 * 
*                 * 
1.0               .£' 
1.5            1.3 
320.1         297.3 
*                * 

trace,      trace, 
trace,      trace. 
276.2         257.3     - 
54.2           53.1 
19.7           16.6- 

Sodium    (Na) 

034  3 

Lithium    (Li)       ..   . 

1  2 

Magnesium    (Mg)     

24  3 

Calcium   (Ca) 

51  4 

Barium    (Ba)    

4  c 

Strontium   (Sr)    

2  4 

Iron    (Fe) 

.8 
1  5 

Alumina    (A^Oa)    

Chlorine   (Cl) 

305  i 

Bromine     (Br)     ... 

1  9  ' 

Iodine     (I)     

trace 

Sulphuric    Acid    (SO4)    

trace. 
279  1 

Carbonic  acid  (HCOs)  •• 

Sulphuretted    hydrogen    (H2S)     ... 
Silica  (SiO2) 

56.5 
26  5 

"Present  but  not  determined. 


1023. S 


996.6 


928.9 


Mf 

>mimmfr 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS. 


79 


A  qualitative  test  of  springs  No.  5  and  6  showed  them  to  be  very  similar 
to  No.  1.  A  qualitative  examination  of  spring  No.  4  gives  of  solid  dis- 
solved matter  555.75  parts  per  million.  The  water  is  non-sulphuretted  and 
contains  some  sulphates;  lithium  is  also  present. 

The  temperature  was  found  to  be  practically  the  same  in  all  these 
springs,  t;3.5°  F.,  the  temperature  of  the  air  at  the  same  time  being  82°  F. 
With  the  exception  of  No.  4  they  were  all  strongly  sulphuretted.  They 
furnish  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  drinking  and  baths,  No.  1,  the 
largest,  having  a  flow  of  about  3  gallons  per  minute. 

The  presence  of  some  constituents  in  relatively  large  quanti- 
ties, not  commonly  found  in  Alabama  mineral  waters,  makes 
these  springs  noteworthy.  They  contain  more  sulphuretted  hy- 
drogen and  lithium  than  any  other  water  in  the  State  of  whichh 
a  record  is  available,  the  presence  of  the  latter  being  easily 
detected  with  the  spectroscope  in  the  water  as  taken  from  the 
spring,  without  any  concentration.  Salts  of  barium  and  stron- 
tium are  also  present. 

Cold  Spring. — This  is  a  good  type  of  the  "Big1"  springs 
so  characteristic  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous  rocks,  and  would 
not  properly  be  considered  as  a  mineral  spring.  It  is  about  one 
mile  south  of  Blount  Springs  Hotel  near  the  bank  of  Randolph 
Creek.  The  flow  of  water  is  very  large.  The  temperature  is1 
59°,  the  temperature  of  the  air  at  the  same  time  being 

79°. 

The  analysis  given  below  show  its  principal  ingredient  to 
be  carbonate  of  lime.  It  is  free  from  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
and  any  large  amount  of  sodium  chloride,  which  are  so  plenti- 
ful in  the  Blount  Springs  water  proper. 

Analysis  of  water  from  "Cold  Spring,"  near  Blount  Springs. 


Potassium   (K)    

Sodium    (Na)    

Magnesium   (Mg)    

Calcium   (Ca)    

Iron  and  Alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 

Chlorine   (Cl)    

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    

Carbonic  acid   (HCO3)    

Silica    (SiO2) 


Parts  per   million. 
1.3 

7.2 

4.4 

58.7 

1.7 

9.9 


194:8 

14.8 


301.! 


Glenwood  Spring. — Of  somewhat  similar  nature  is  a  water 
from  the  Oxmoor  sandstone  ridge,  near  Blount  Springs,  or. 


80  DETAILS  :      APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 

the  property  of  Mr.  G.  D.  Fitzhugh.  This  spring  is'  in  the  N. 
W.  quarter,  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  6,  Township  13,  Range  2  W., 
and  is  called  Glenwood  Spring. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Glenwood  Spring,  near  Blount  Springs. 


Parts  per   million. 

Potassium   (K)    1.0 

Sodium    (Na)    ; 4.5 

Magnesium    (Mg)     2.1 

Calcium  (Ca)    28.1 

Iron   and   alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 1.1 

Chlorine   (Cl) 5.3 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    8.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   91.8 

Silica  (SiO2)  12.2 


154.5 


H (well's  Well. — The  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges  of 
the  water  from  a  well  90  feet  deep  on  the  property  of  Mr.  W. 
F.  Harrell,  one  mile  north  of  Blount  Springs,  shows  it  to  be 
a  chalybeate  water,  and  it  is  reputed  to  have  valuable  medi- 
cinal character. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Harrell's  well,  near  Blount  Springs. 


Parts  per   million. 

Potassium   (K)    1.0 

Sodium    (Na)    6.6 

Magnesium    (Mg)     7.4 

Calcium   (Ca)    53.9 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3)Al2O3)   12.4 

Chlorine   (Cl)    15.7 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  19.3 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     167.7 

Silica   (SiO2   14.7 

298.2 


BORDEN-WHEELER    SPRINGS. 

This  much  visited  resort  is  on  the  Seaboard  Air  Line  R.  R., 
in  Cleburne  County,  (Plate  VIII.) 

The  accompanying  analysis  of  the  water,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  will 
show  its  character. 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  81 

Analysis  of  water  from  B  or  den-Wheeler  Springs. 


Parts  per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    .9 

Sodium    (Na)    4.0 

Magnesium    (Mg)    6.7 

Calcium   (Ca) 36.3     • 

Iron    (Fe)    1.6 

Alumina    (A12O3)    .3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    1.7 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    22.9 

Carbonic   acid   (HCO3)    131.6 

Silica  (SiO2)  19.9 


225.9' 


OTHER    SPRINGS. 


The  Devonian  black  shales  give  rise  to  numerous  sulphur  and 
chalybeate  springs  in  Calhoun  County  and  elsewhere.  The  sul- 
phur springs  in  the  N.  W.  quater,  S.  W.  quarter,  Section  30, 
Township  15,  Range  6,  E.,  in  Calhoun  County,  occur  in  black 
shales  interstratified  with  s'eams  of  resinous-looking  brown  and 
grayish  sandstones.  The  water  is  pleasant  to  the  taste,  being 
not  too  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur.  In  the  S.  W. 
quarter,  N.  W.  quarter,  Section  30,  Township  16,  Range  4  E., 
in  St.  Clair  County,  a  group  of  sulphur  and  chalybeate  springs 
occur  in  the  same  black  s'hales.  A  chalybeate  spring  from  the 
Subcarboniferous  shale  is  recorded  in  the  S.  E.  quarter,  N.  W. 
quarter,  Section  i,  Township  15,  Range  6  E.,  also  in. Calhoun 
County. 

Of  chalybeate  springs  there  is  no  lack  in  the  ether  formations 
in  this  section;  thus  in  the  Weisner  (Cambrian)  sandstones 
are  the  Chocco  Springs',  near  Talladega,  in  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Section  17,  Township  18,  Range  5  E.,  comprising  two 
chalybeate  and  several  freestone  springs ;  also  another  fine  and 
well-known  chalybeate  spring  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Sec- 
tion 2,  Township  15,  Range  9  E.,  in  Calhoun  County.  Chaly- 
beate waters  are  also  abundant  in  the  strata  just  under  the  bluff 
of  the  lower  conglomerate  of  the  Coal  Measures  capping  Look- 
out and  Raccoon  mountains.  These  are  noticed'  under  "Coal 
Measures." 


82  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 


INGRAM  WELL. 


The  Devonian  black  shale  of  Calhoun  County  yields  another 
water  of  rather  interesting  composition  from  the  Ingram  well, 
28  feet  deep,  in  the  E.  half,  S.  W.  quarter,  Section  26,  Town- 
ship 14,  Range  6  E.,  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Ohatchee. 
(Plate  IX  A.)  The  analysis  below  is  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Mallett* 

Analysis  of  Ingram  lithia  water  from  well  near  Ohatchee. 


Part?  per   million. 

Sodium    (Na)    6.37 

Potassium   (K)    1.58 

Lithium    (Li)    .06 

Manganese    (Mn)    .11 

Calcium   (Ca)    44.21 

Strontium   (Sr) 16 

Ammonium   (NH4)    , .20 

Zinc    (Zn)    .29 

Iron    (Fe)    .70 


Maganese   (Mn)    

Copper    (Cu)    

Aluminum    (Al)    

Sulphuric  acid  (SOJ 
Chlorine   (Cl)    ........ 

Carbonic   acid   (HCO3) 


.11 

.06 

.27 

17.13 

5.68 

147.72 


Nitric  acid  (NO3)  .13 

Silica  (SiO2)  39.68 

Fluorine    (F)    trace. 

268.82 

*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations; recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 

SALINE  WATERS. 
LANDERS   WELL  AND   GARY   SPRINGS. 

Besides  chalybeate  waters,  the  variegated  shales  of  the  Cam- 
brian yield  strongly  saline  waters  of  medicinal  quality,  as1  may 
be  seen  from  the  following  analyses  of  water  from  the  well  of 
Mr.  A.  M.  Landers,  of  Jacksonville,  and  from  the  Gary 
Springs,  near  Centerville,  both  analyses  of  Mr.  Hodges. 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY   OF   ALABAMA.  UNDERGROUND   WATER    RESOURCES.  PLATE   IX. 


A.    INGRAM  WELL,  NEAR  OHATCHEE,  CALHOUN  COUNTY. 


I 


B.  GATE  CITY  WELL,  JEFFERSON  COUNTY, 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  83 

Analysis  of  water  from  A.  M.  Landers's  well,  Jacksonville. 


Parts  per   million. 

Sodium    (Na) 41.3 

Magnesium  (Mg)  122.9 

Calcium   (Ca)    276.3 

Iron  and  Alumina  (FesOs.AlsOs)  3.4 

Chlorine   (Cl)    .7 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4(    1071.5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   206.6 

Silica  (SiO2)   •••< 35.4 


1758.1 


Analysis  of  water  from  Gary  Springs,  near  Centerville. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    2.7 

Sodium    (Na)    4.3 

Magnesium  (Mg)   85.6 

Calcium  (Ca)   456.1 

Iron   and  Alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3)    8.9 

Chlorine    (Cl)    3.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  1337.4 

Carbonic  acid  HCO3) 126.8 

Carbon  dioxide  (CO2)   47.7 

Silica  (SiO2)  18.3 


2091.1 
Free  carbonic  acid,  242  cc.  per  liter. 


The  calcareous  shales  of  the  "Flatwoods"  of  Coosa  River 
above  Gadsden  yield  als'o  mineral  water  of  very  decided  char- 
acter, as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  analysis,  by  Mr. 
Hodges. 

BALL  FLAT  WELL. 

Analysis  of  water  from  John  B.  Smith's  ivell,  Ba-ll  Flat. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    5.9 

Sodium    (Na)    112.1 

Magnesium   (Mg)    96.3 

Calcium  (Ca)   393.6 

Iron  and  alumina  (FeaO^A^OaO)   3.5 

Chlorine   (Cl) 12/.6 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO*)    1302.5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   120.3 

Silica  (SiOa)  20.0 

2181.8 


84  Di-TAILS:      APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 

ARTESIAN   PROSPECTS. 

All  the  older  rocks  which  have  lain  below  a  thick  covering 
of  younger  formations  for  a  long  time,  even  though  originally 
porous,  have  had  their  porosity  greatly  diminshed  by  the  filling 
of  the  pores  With  silt  or  clay,  or  more  commonly,  in  the  deeper 
zones,  of  flow,  by  the  deposition  of  mineral  matter.  Limestones 
are,  in  their  original  condition,  in  most  cas'es  among  the  most 
compact  and  least  porous  of  rocks ;  shales,  while  possessing  a 
high  degree  of  porosity,  are  yet  almost  impermeable  by  reason 
of  the  small  size  of  the  pores  and  the  great  friction  encounter- 
ed by  the  water  in  passing  through;  sandstones  have  originally 
the  greatest  degree  of  permeability,  by  virtue  of  the  compara- 
tively large  size  of  the  individual  grains,  and  consequently  of 
the  pores  between  them.  The  sandstones  of  the  Appalachian 
valleys,  having,  remained  long  deeply  buried,  have  lost  a  part 
of  their  porosity  as  above  explained,  so  that  in  general  all  the 
rocks  underlying  this  area  must  be  considered  as  poorly  adapted 
to  the  absorption  and  transmission  of  water. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  limestones  may  be  open  textured  from 
several  causes.  Near  the  surface,  as  above  shown,  they  may  be 
jointed  and  fissured  and  these  openings'  may  be  enlarged  by 
solution  in  circulating  waters ;  in  the  alteration  of  limestone  into 
dolomite  there  is  a  diminution  in  the  volume  of  the  rock  and 
a  consequent  development  of  shrinkage  cracks ;  where  siliceous 
or  cher.ty  limestones  have  been  exposed  at  the  surface  for  a 
long  time  the  lime  may  be  leached  out  and  the  chert  left  as  art 
exceedingly  open  and  porous  mas's  through  which  the  waters 
may  pass  without  obstruction.  Some  of  the  sandstones  still 
possess  a  reasonable  degree  of  porosity.  The  shales  are  al- 
ways good  covers  and  underlying  beds'  for  the  porous  strata, 
and  in  many  places  the  alternations  of  pervious  and  impervious 
beds  at  a  gentle  inclination  fulfil  some  of  the  requisites  of 
an  artesian  system,  so  that  under  favorable  local  conditions 
artesian  water  may  be  found  in  .much  of  this  area.  Thes'e  fa- 
vorable conditions  may  be  offset,  however,  in  several  ways. 
The  fissures  are  likely  to  be  narrowed  or  even  closed  at  con- 
siderable depths,  and  they  are  rarely  continuous  for  any  great 
distance ;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  openness"  of  texture  pro- 
duced by  other  causes.  Moreover,  the  geologic  structure  may 
give  rise  to  still  other  opposing  conditions.  As  already  stated, 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  85 

the  rocks  in  all  these  valleys  have  been  bent  upward  into  anti- 
clinal arches  which  are  often  lapped  over  to  one  side ;  or  several 
folds  may  be  compressed  together,  and  there  may  be  further 
complications  by  faulting.  These  disturbances  are  more  in  the 
eastern  part  of  this  area  than  farther  west.  As  a  consequence 
the  strata,  even  when  other  conditions  are  favorable,  may  stand 
at  too  steep  an  inclination  to  be  well  adapted  to  artesian  bor- 
ings, for  the  water  in  the  porous  bed  would  be  carried  beyond 
available  depths  too  quickly. 

The  horizons  which  have  yielded  artesian  water,  so  far  as 
the  collected  records  go,  are  the  lower  Cambrian  limestones 
and  sandstones  about  Anniston  and  the  Lower  Carboniferous* 
strata  of  Red  Mountain,  near  Birmingham. 

The  Weisner  sandstone  is  a  great  mountain-making  forma- 
tion running  with  occasional  breaks  from  the  Georgia  line 
southwestward  by  Piedmont,  Jacksonville,  Anniston,  and  Tal- 
ladega  to  the  Kahatchee  Hills  near  Talladega  Springs.  The 
foothills  of  this  ridge  are  covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  residual 
deposits  resting  on  the  other  Cambrian  formations. 

AXNISTON. 

Several  borings  have  been  made  at  Anniston  with  the  re- 
sults given  below.  These  borings  pass  through  the  residual 
matter  near  the  surface  and  the  limestones  into  a  sandstone  in 
which  the  water  is  obtained.  This  may  be  the  Weisner  sand- 
stone, but  reliable  identifications  have  not  been  made. 

Well  No.  1,  Charcoal  Furnace;  diameter,  8  inches;  depth,  260  feet; 
water  rises  within  4  feet  of  the  surface;  capacity  not  determined,  but 
seems  to  have  been  several  gallons  per  minute;  well  was  abandoned  be- 
cause of  the  loss  of  tools. 

Well  No.  2,  Charcoal  Furnace;  drilled  in  1886  by  Charles  Morgan;  diam- 
eter, 6  '5-8  inches;  depth,  558  feet;  water  at  550  feet,  rising  to  within 
4  feet  of  the  surface.  The  boring  struck  decomposed  Cambrian  lime- 
stone at  32  feet,  in  which  it  continued  all  the  way,  except  for 
8  feet  of  porous  sandstone  at  the  bottom.  The  well  is  located 
about  40  feet  from  No.  1,  on  ground  about  30  feet  lower  than  the  water- 
works well.  The  limestone  is  thicker  at  the  furnaces.  While  drilling  in 
the  limestone  the  water  level  in  No.  1  was  affected,  but  on  completion 
the  limestone  was  cased  off.  A  pump  delivering  a  solid  5-inch  stream  did 
not  diminish  the  supply  after  a  twenty-four  hour  test. 

Coke  Furnace  well;  drilled  in  1899;  diameter,  10  inches;  depth.  480  feet; 
height  of  water,  80  feet.  The  well  was  begun  at  the  bottom  of  a  shaft 
which  was  sunk  126  feet  through  yellow  clay,  10  feet  through  shale,  and 
344  feet  into  limestone.  The  flow  of  water  into  the  shaft  from  the  well 


86  DETAILS  I       APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 

was  determined  by  measurement  to  vary  from  1,200  to  1,900  gallons  per 
minute.  When  drawing  1,800  gallons  per  minute  the  pumps  held  the  level 
constantly  at  5  feet  below  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 

City  water-works  well,  diameter,  8  inches;  depth,  310  feet;  depth  to 
water,  280  to  310  feet;  water  rises  to  within  30  feet  of  the  surface;  capacity 
under  pump,  1,000  gallons  per  minute  without  lowering;  quality,  good; 
temperature  60  degrees.  The  well  is  supposed  to  be  entirely  in  Cambrian 
rocks.  It  was  started  at  the  bottom  of  a  shaft  120  feet  deep.  From  the 
surface  the  materials  were:  Soil,  a  few  inches;  yellow  clay,  4  feet;  coarse 
gravel,  36  feet;  limestone,  somewhat  decomposed  and  interspersed  with 
numerous  seams  and  jointed  masses,  240  feet;  flint,  2  inches;  sandstone, 
at  first  coarse  grained,  but  becoming  gradually  porous,  30  feet. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous  beds,  equiva- 
lent in  general  to  the  Bangor  (Chester  or  Mountain)  lime- 
stone division  of  geologists,  are  some  thick  bodies  of  s'hales  and 
sandstone  which  have  received  the  name  Oxmoor,  from  their 
great  development  at  the  village  of  that  name  in  Shades  Val- 
ley. The  same  strata  reappear  prominently  east  of  the  Coosa 
coal  field  and  between  that  field  and  the  great  Coosa  Valley. 
Some  of  these  sandstones  are  quite  opentextured  and  free  from 
lime,  and  thus  well  fitted  for  the  absorption  and  transmission  of 
water.  In  many  places  they  have  a  gentle  slope  to  the  south- 
east, and  being  inclosed  between  shales  form  good  artesian  res- 
ervoirs. 

GATE    CITY. 

Records  have  been  collected  of  artesian  wells  in  these  strata 
at  only  one  place,  viz,  the  eastern  slope  of  Red  Mountain  near 
Gate  City,  Birmingham,  yet  on  general  principles  there  s'hould 
be  reasonable  expectation  of  success  in  borings  at  other  points 
in  Shades  Valley,  as  well  as  in  the  region  between  the  Coosa 
coal  field  and  Coosa  Valley. 

Borings  made  by  Mr.  DeBardeleben  in  Shades  Valley  south 
and  southwest  of  Birmingham,  in  prospecting  for  the  Red 
Mountain  ore  seam,  have  recently  fully  realized  this'  expecta- 
tion. 

The  Gate  City  wells  are  in  the  S.  E.  quarter,  N.  W.  quarter, 
Section  26,  Township  17,  Range  2.  W.,  in  Shades  Valley,  at 
the  base  of  the  Red  Mountain  ridge.  Here  were  formerly  two 
large  limestone  springs  about  30  feet  apart.  Four  wells  have 
been  bored  within  a  radius  of  100  feet  of  these  springs ;  two 
of  them  are  10  inches  in  diameter,  the  other  two  6  inches.  The 


APPALACHIAN    VALLEYS.  87 

water  in  all  the  wells  stands  at  about  the  height  of  the  two 
springs'  mentioned,  and  overflows  or  stands  a  few  feet  below  the 
Surface  according  to  the  elevation  of  the  mouth  of  the  well. 
The  borings  are  25,85,103,  and  344  feet  deep  respectively.  The 
sinking  of  these  wells  has  diminished  the  flow  of  one  of  the 
springs,  but  the  other  does  not  seem  to  be  affected.  One  of 
these  wells  is  shown  in  Plate  IX.  B. 

In  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  Section  26, 
Township  17,  Range  2  W.,  and  a  short  distance  southeast  of 
the  springs  and  wells  just  mentioned  are  other  springs.  The 
water  from  one  of  these — E,  T.  Cox's — has  been  analyzed  by 
Mr.  Hodges  with  the  following  results. 

Analysis  of  water  -from  E.  T.  Cox's  spring,  Shades  Valley. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    .8 

Sodium    (Na)    8.2 

Magnesium     (Mg)     5.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    , 22.8 

Iron   and  Alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 3.2 

Chlorine   (Cl)    3.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (So4)   6.6 

Carbonic    tcid    (HCO3)     106.6 

Silica  (SiOa) 43.3 


200.4 


The  sandstones  of  the  Clinton  (Upper  Silurian)  formation 
might  locally  furnis'h  an  artesian  supply,  but  as  they  are  gen- 
erally calcareous  they  probably  have  low  porosity.  Their  posi- 
tion, however,  between  impervious  shales,  is  favorable. 

In  the  lesser  valleys  and  the  two  Red  Mountain  ridges  (east 
and  west)  the  great  preponderance  of  limestones  and  calca- 
reous shales  among  the  strata  and  above  all  their  high  angle  of 
dip  are  unfavorable  for  artesian  prospects,  though,  as  above 
mentioned  favorable  for  "big  springs." 


88  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

COAL  MEASURES  (CARBONIFEROUS  ROCKS) 

The  strata  of  the  Coal  Measures  consist  in  the  main  of  the 
sandstones,  conglomerates',  and  shales ;  the  coal  seams  form  a 
very  small  percentage  of  the  entire  thickness  and  there  are  a 
few  thin  beds  of  impure  limestone. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

In  consequence  of  weathering  these  rocks  are  covered  with 
a  mantle  of  residual  material — sands,  clays,  and  loams  of  vary- 
ing thickness'  according  to  the  locality;  though  in  some  places 
this  mantle  has  been  entirely  removed  by  erosion  leaving  bare 
rocks  at  the  surface.  Springs  and  open  wells  are  everywhere 
sources  of  water  for  domestic  use,  but  on  account  of  the  non- 
continuity  of  these  surface  beds  and  their  variable  thickness 
the  supply  is  intimately  dependent  on  occasional  conditions,  and 
is  prone  to  diminish  or  fail  in  times  of  long-continued  drought. 
These  springs'  escape  usually  just  above  a  bed  of  shale  or  a 
coal  seam.  The  latter  is  an  especially  effectual  hindrance  to 
downward  percolation,  and  in  consequence  wet,  fern-covered 
benches  along  the  hillsides'  and  in  the  ravine  heads  are  con- 
sidered good  guides  in  prospecting  for  coal. 

The  sandstone  strata  near  the  base  of  these  measures  are  gen- 
erally good  collectors  and  storers  of  surface  waters,  especially 
near  the  cliffs'  and  escarpments  overlooking  the  valleys.  The 
springs  at  Mentone,  on  Lookout  Mountain;  on  Monte  Sano, 
near  Huntsville;  and  on  Shades  Mountain,  near  Oxmoor,  are 
instances.  The  waters  from  Towne's  spring  and  the  De  Soto 
Springs  on  Shades  Mountain  have  been  found  by  analysis  (see 
below)  to  be  alkaline-carbonate-waters,  with,  however,  no  ex- 
cessive amount  of  dissolved  mineral  matter. 

Toward  their  southwestern  limit  the  Coal  Measures  are 
covered  in  part  by  later  formations — the  Tuscaloosa  and  La- 
fayette— and  as  these  consist  in  the  main  of  unconsolidated 
sands  and  pebbles,  the  s'urface-water  supply  dependent  upon 
them  is  much  more  reliable  and  usually  never  failing. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 

While  the  Coal  Measures  are  prolific  in  mineral  waters,  main- 
ly sulphur  and  chalybeate,  there  are  comparatively  few  places 


•GEOLOGICAL    SURVEY   OF   ALABAMA.  UNDERGROUND   WATER    RESOURCES.      PLATE   X. 


A.     COOK  SPRINGS,  ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY. 


B.    MENTONE  SPRING,  DEKALB  COUNTY. 


COAL   MEASURES.  89 

where  they  have  been  utilized  and  where  accommodations  have 
been  provided  for  visitors. 

COOK     SPRINGS. 

•  These  springs,  (Plate  X.  A),  located  on  the  Seaboard  Air 
Line,  in  the  Coosa  coal  field,  are  well  situated  and  improved. 
There  are  s'everal  springs  of  different  kinds,  among  them  , a 
chalybeate  and  a  sulphur  spring.  With  the  exception  of  these 
two  which  have  respectively  269.8  and  274.1  parts  per  million, 
the  waters  contain  comparatively  little  dissolved  mineral  waters, 
as  may  be  seen  by  the  subjoined  analyses  by  Mr.  Hodge: 

Analyses  of  ivater  from,  Cook  Springs. 


Sodium    (Na)    

Parts  pe 
No.  1       No. 
30.2            6.9 
26             15 

r  million. 
2       No.  3        No.  4 
11.0            3.7 
•3.7               .9 
2.6            1.0 
117.2             2.8 
10.8               .8 
3.5             3.5 
2.1             2.1 
74.1           14.9 

44.8           10.8 

Potassium   (K) 

Magnesium  (Mg)     

41             13 

Calcium   (Ca)    
Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,Al2O3).. 
Chlorine   (Cl) 

22.6           10.0 
22.6             4.0 
53             53 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  
Bicarbonic  acid  (HCO3)  

5.3             7.9 
157.1           38.3 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen   (H2S)    .. 
Silica  (SiO2)  

.4 
43.8           19  5 

Total 

274  1           94  7 

269 

8 

40.5 

No.  i  "Sulphur  spring." 
No.  2  "Lithia  or  Magnesia/' 
No.  3  "Chalybeate." 
No.  4  "'Lithia." 

SPRINGS    ON    SHADES    MOUNTAIN. 


At  and  near  the  summits  of  the  high  plateaus  of  the  Coal 
Measures,  adjacent  to  and  overlooking  the  valleys,  are  many 
fine  springs,  chiefly  chalybeate,  though  frequently  alkaline-car- 
bonate like  the  Cook  Springs'  just  mentioned.  Of  this  kind  two 
springs  on  Shades  Mountain,  near  Oxmoor,  Jefferson  County, 
of  which  analyses  by  Mr.  Hodges  are  given  below : 


90  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  DeSoto  Spring  No.  1,  near  Oxmoor. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    .6 

Sodium  (Na)   7.3 

Magnesium  (Mg)  3.2 

Calcium  (Ca)    34.1 

Iron  and  Alumina  (Fe2O3,Al2O3)   5.1 

Chlorine   (Cl)    1.7 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  1.9 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   129.4 

Silica  (Si02)  36.9 


220.2 


In  the  same  vicinity  is  another  spring,  on  the  property  of 
Mr.  John  Townes,  of  Birmingham : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Towne's  spring,  near  Oxmoor. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K) 2.3 

Sodium  (Na)  15.8 

Magnesium  (Mg)  3.9 

Calcium  (Ca)  21.0 

Iron  and  Alumina  (Fe2O3,Al2O3)   3.6 

Chlorine   (Cl)    5.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  .5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  118.4 

Silica  (SiOa)  31.1 


201.9 


Another  well-known  spring  close  by  is  the  Hale  Spring.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  springs  of  the  finest  chalybeate  water  are  nu- 
merous, and  one  might  say  characteristic,  in  the  basal  con- 
glomerates and  other  strata  of  the  Coal  Measures  wherever 
these  appear  in  cliffs  overlooking  the  valley. 

SPRINGS   ON    LOOKOUT    MOUNTAIN. 

In  the  syncline  of  Lookout  Mountain,  along  the  banks  of 
Black  Creek,  are  two  well-known  chalybeate  springs.  The  first 
is  near  the  end  of  the  mountain,  close  to  Alabama  City  on  the 
Hollingsworth  property,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter,  N.  W.  quarter, 
Section  32,  Township  n,  Range  6  E.,  and  is  known  simply  as 
the  Chalybeate  Spring.  It  flows  in  a  small  stream,  strongly 
impregnated  with  iron,  from  beneath  the  sandstone  or  con- 
glomerate which  makes  the  falls  of  Black  Creek.  This  water 


COAL   MEASURES.  91 

has  been  favorably  known  for  many  years.  No  improvements 
have  been  made.  Higher  up  the  Valley,  in  Section  3,  Town- 
ship 10,  Range  7  E.,  are  the  Lay  Springs,  where  several  bold 
streams  of  strong  chalybeate  water  flow  from  beneath  a  con- 
glomerate, probably  overlying  the  one  which  makes'  the  falls 
below. 

At  the  lower  end  of  Lookout  Mountain,  between  Gadsden 
and  Attalla,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter,  S.  E.  quarter,  Section  31, 
Township  n,  Range  6  E.,  is  a  sulphur  spring  of  which  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  whether  it  comes  from  the  strata  of  the  Coal 
Measures  or  from  those  of  the  Cambrian,  since  the  two  are 
there  brought  together  by  faulting. 

On  the  western  side  of  Lookout  Mountain  numerous  sulphur 
and  chalybeate  springs'  issue  from  beneath  the  capping  con- 
glomerate of  the  mountain.  One  such  spring  is  east  of  Cordell 
station,  on  the  Alabama  Great  Southern  Railroad. 

MENTONE     SPRINGS. 

The  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges  is  of  water  from  a 
spring  at  Mentone,  in  Section  28,  Township  5,  Range  10  E., 
(Plate  X,  B),  owned  by  the  Loring  Springs  Hotel  Company. 


Analysis  of  water  from  springs  at  Mentone. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    1.3 

Sodium    (Na)    2.6 

Magnesium  (Mgr)   3.0 

.Calcium   (Ca)    4.5 

Iron  (Fe)  6.6 

Alumina  (A12O3)   2.3 

Chlorine  (Cl)  .8 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  15.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  33.2 

Silica  (SiO2)  •. 10.8 


80.5 


OTHER    SPRINGS. 


On  the  west  side  of  Wills  Valley,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter, 
Section  25,  Township  6,  Range  8  E.,  under  the  cliffs  of  Rac- 
coon Mountain,  a  chalybeate  spring  flows'  from  flagstones  ly- 


92  DETAILS  I       APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 

ing  between  conglomerates.  At  the  head  of  Bristow  Cove, 
in  Murphree  Valley,  two  similar  springs  are  recorded,  one 
from  above  and  one  from  below  the  lower  conglomerate. 

Across. Raccoon  Mountain  and  the  Tennessee  Valley,  among 
the  spurs  of  the  Curnberlands  in  Jackson  and  Madison  Coun- 
ties, many  such  springs  come  from  the  meas'ures  just  below  the 
conglomerates,  as  on  Keel  Mountain  at  Dr.  Blair's  residence 
in  Section  30,  Township  4,  Range  3  K.,  and  farther  south  in 
Township  5,  Range  2  and  3,  around  the  cliffs  of  the  mountain. 
On  Raccoon  Mountain,  also  in  Jackson  County,  near  Fern  Cliff 
Postoffice,  a  chalybeate  spring  arises  from  above  the  Cliff  seam 
of  coal.  In  Blonnt  County,  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  of 
Blount  Springs,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  10,  Township  12, 
Range  2  W.,  and  again  on  the  east  side  of  the  same  valley  in 
the  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  19,  Township  13,  Range  2  W.,  are 
locally  well-known  chalybeate  springs  arising  from  the  strata 
near  the  base  of  Coal  Measures,  like  those  above  mentioned. 

In  Winston  County  in  a  low  place  near  Brown  Creek  in 
Section  3,  Township  n,  Range  9  W.,  is  the  Blue  Spring  of 
Dr.  Kaiser,  a  sulphur  spring  of  fine  quality.  In  the  so-called 
rock  houses  of  Winston  and  Marion  counties  chalybeate  springs 
are  numerous  and  characteristic. 

In  Tuscaloosa  County  in  the  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  8,  Town- 
ship 18,  Range  9  W.,  in  Wyndham  Springs.  This  is  a  sulphur 
spring  of  pleas'ant  taste  and  reputed  medicinal  quality.  Near- 
by, in  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  34,  Township  17,  Range 
9  W.,  is  Hagler's,  a  strong  chalybeate  spring  flowing  from 
flagstones.  In  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  Section  16,  Township  18, 
Range  10  W.,  is  a  spring  which  is  rather  saline  and  from  which 
some  salt  was  made  during  the  civil  war. 

Comment  has  already  been  made  on  the  common  occurrence 
of  chalybeate  and  other  springs'  in  the  wet  heads  of  the  little 
ravines  in  all  parts  of  the  basin  region  of  the  Warrior  coal 
field,  where  they  are  shed  by  underlying  impervious  seams  of 
coal  and  are  thus  good  guides  to  the  prospector  for  coal.  Very 
few  of  these  springs  have  been  improved. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  sandstones  and  conglomerates  are  the  permeable  beds, 
and  as  they  are  interstratified  with  shales  and  generally  lie  in 


COAL  MEASURES.  93 

nearly  horizontal  position  or  with  but  moderate  dip,  they  afford 
in  these  respects  the  requisite  conditions  for  artesian  systems. 
In  the  smaller  fields,  the  Coosa  and  Cahaba,  as  has  been  stated, 
the  strata  dip  toward  the  southeast  over  the  en- 
tire width  of  the  fields,  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  belt 
along  the  eastern  borders,  where  they  stand  nearly  vertical 
in  the  eastern  limb  of  the  unsymmetrical  synclines.  In  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  Cahaba  field  the  stratigraphic  rela- 
tions are  more  complicated,  but  even  there  these  conditions  pre- 
vail over  much  territory.  In  the  Lookout  Mountain  and  War- 
rior fields  the  strata  form  shallow  synclines,  which  as  a  whole, 
have  a  'pitch  to  the  southwest.  The  success  of  arte- 
sian borings  ^hi  these  areas  therefore,  would  seem  to  depend 
chiefly  on  the  permeability  of  the  sandstones  and  conglom- 
erates. So  far  as  the  porosity  of  these  rocks  is  concerned  the 
case  is  similar  to  that  of  older  rocks  generally  which  have  lain 
long  buried  beneath  other  strata — the  pore  space  is  likely  to 
be  diminished  by  deposition  of  mineral  matter  from  the  un- 
derground waters.  Like  all  massive  rocks,  these  are  traversed 
by  joints  and  fissures  which  afford  passageways  for  the  un- 
derground waters,  but  such  passageways  are  uncertain  and 
unreliable.  On  these  accounts  it  is  generally  not  possible  to 
forecast  with  any  degree  of  certainty  the  result  of  artesian 
borings.  Flowing  wells  of  large  volume  are,  however,  hardly 
to  be  expected. 

j 

ETOWAH    COUNTY. 

In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  several  interesting  in- 
stances of  successful  wells  near  the  end  of  Lookout  Mountain, 
where  the  prospects,  on  general  principles,  would  appear  to  be 
unfavorable.  At  Alabama  City  a  well  6  inches  in  diameter  was 
bored  about  six  years  ago  in  the  vertical  rocks  of  the  great  fault 
which  cuts  off  Lookout  Mountain  on  the  south.  These  rocks 
are  the  sandstones  and  shales  of  the  lower  Coal  Measures.  The 
well  is  165  feet  deep  and  is  cased  to  the  bottom.  The  well  mouth 
is  about  60  feet  above  the  railroad  track  at  the  station,  and  the 
water  stands  at  30  feet.  A  pump  delivering  12  gallons  per 
minute  has  raised  from  this  well  10,000  gallons  without  any 
diminution  in  the  amount  discharged,  but  whether  the  stand 
in  the  well  was  lowered  could  not  be  told. 


94  DETAILS  I      APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 

At  the  southeastern  angle  of  the  mountain  rim  overlooking 
Gadsden,  at  the  residence  of  Messrs.  T.  S.  Kyle  and  E.  T. 
Schuler  and  the  hotel,  wells  have  been  sunk  into  the  sand- 
stones or  conglomerates  which  make  the  highest  points  of  the 
mountain  here  and  are  500  feet  or  more  above  the  court-house. 
Mr.  Kyle's  well  is  within  200  feet  of  the  edge  of  the  escarp- 
ment, and  though  only  60  feet  deep  it  furnishes  an  abundant 
supply  of  water,  which  is  raised  by  a  hot-air  pump.  Mr.  Schil- 
ler's well  is  in  a  similar  position  and  50  feet  deep,  furnishes  an 
abundant  supply,  but  perhaps  not  so  much  as  the  preceding.  At 
the  hotel  also  there  was  no  difficulty  in  getting  a  good  water 
supply  in  these  sandstones.  In  all  cases'  the  water  rises  in  the 
wells,  but  does  not  overflow.  The  wells  are  sunk  in  the  out- 
crop of  the  intaking  rocks. 

On  the  N.  C.  and  St.  L.  R.  R.  at  Carlisle,  on  Sand  Moun- 
tain, a  fine  stream  of  good  water  comes  from  a  boring  made 
in  search  of  coal.  Depth  about  175  feet.  No  details  obtained. 

CAHABA  FIELD. 
ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY. 

At  Davis  Station,  on  the  Seaboard  Air  Line,  there  is  a  flow- 
ing well,  31-2  inches  in  diameter  and  244  feet  deep,  that  yields 
about  25  gallons  per  minute.  The  well  is  in  Section  7,  Town- 
ship 1 6,  Range  2  E.,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  railroad,  and  is 
between  the  outcrops  of  the  Wadsworth  and  Mammoth  coal 
mines. 

WARRIOR  FIELD. 
WALKER  COUNTY. 

At  Oakman,  Walker  County,  a  well  was  bored  in  August, 
1899,  during  a  long-continued  dry  spell.  The  depth  was  58  1-2 
feet ;  the  boring  was  through  sandstone,  in  which  the  water  was 
obtained.  The  water  rises  two  feet  above  the  surface  and  the 
flow  is  about  two  gallons  per  minute ;  the  temperature  is1  63°F. 

At  Jasper  J.  B.  Carrington  drilled  two  wells.  No.  I  in  Court 
House  Square,  went  to  the  depth  of  350  feet,  but  a  good  flow 
was  obtained  at  152  feet  in  a  white  sandstone.  The  water  rose 
17  feet  above  the  surface  and  continued  to  flow  till  the  second 
well  was  drilled,  when  the  stand  went  down  to  15  feet.  No.  2 


COAL   MEASURES.  95 

well,  6  inches  in  diameter,  was  drilled  at  the  coke  ovens,  getting 
a  good  flow  at  18.2  feet  below  the  surface,  which  was  here  about 
25  feet  lower  than  the  surface  in  the  court-hous'e  yard.  T^ie 
water  rose  22  feet  above  the  surface  and  is  sufficient  in  quan- 
tity to  supply  water  for  300  coke  ovens.  A  pump  with  6-inch 
suction  pipe  could  be  worked  steadily  on  this  well  for  fifteen 
hours,  and  then  after  a  rest  of  five  or  six  hours  could  be  run 
another  fifteen  hours. 

At  Stovall's  gin,  between  the  two  wells  above  mentioned,  a 
shallow  well  was  dug  in  which,  at  the  depth  of  15  feet,  water 
was1  struck  which  rose  to  the  surface  and  flowed  off  as  a  spring. 

CULLMAN     COUNTY. 

At  Cullman,  the  county  seat,  a  number  of  wells  were  bored 
during  the  eighties,  of  which  the  following  records  have  been 
furnished  by  Mr.  Max  Schmitt,  of  that  town.  There  has  been 
no  diminution  in  the  supply  of  any  of  these  wells  since  the  first 
tests. 

RECORD    OF    WELLS    AT    CULLMAN. 


No. 

Location.                                      Depth 
Feet. 

Water  'evel 
Feet.                  Yield. 

1. 

1320 

80 

Abundant;      level 
not     lowered     by 
steam   pump. 

2. 

City  well 

715 

80 

Level  not  lowered 
by  large  air  com- 
pressor. 

3. 

Frank  Ardt's  place  of  business  

96 

63 

Supply  unlimited. 

4. 

Cullman  Cotton  Oil  Co.'s  plant  

100 

30 

5. 
6. 
6a. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
1? 

A.    Dreher   &  Co.'s   furniture   factory 
C    Arnold  &  Son's  factory  

108 
143 
100 
270 
101 
110 
78 
150 
209 

80 
40 
40 
20 
46 
42 
48 
101 
130 

Supply  unlimited. 
Supply  limited. 
Supply  limited. 
Supply  unlimited.  • 
Supply  limited. 
Supply  good. 
Supply  plentiful. 
Inexhaustible. 

Sunnlv  unlimited 

30  feet  from  No    6 

J.   H.   Carter's  place  of  business  
George  H    Parker's  residence  

Paul    Mohr's    residence         

William  Blevin's  residence  

St     Bernard    College  

St.   "Bernard   College... 

96  DETAILS  :      APPALACHIAN    DIVISION. 


MARION    COUNTY. 


'At  the  Brilliant' coal  mines  of  the  Aldrich  Coal  Mining  Com- 
pany two  wells  have  been  bored  by  J .  O.  Heflin,  as  follows : 

Well  No.  i,  bored  in  August,  1902;  diameter,  8  inches; 
depth,  401  feet:  yields',  250  gallons  per  minute  for  four  hours; 
well  has  been  in  daily  use  day  and  night  for  three  years ;  tem- 
perature, 54°. 

The  composition  of  the  water  from  this  well  is  shown  in 

the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Long.* 
\ 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  No.  1,  Brilliant. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    , 2.b9 

Magnesium    (Mg)    17.03 

Calcium   (Ca) 52.11 

Chlorine    (Cl)    4.16 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    14.00 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    111.34 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,Al2O3)    "2.57 

Silica   (SiO2)    13.96 

Undetermined    36.29 


254.15 


Well  No.  2,  bored  in  December,  1904;  diameter,  10  inches; 
depth,  375  feet;  has  yielded  1000  gallons  per  minute  for  four 
hours ;  not  yet  in  regular  use. 

The  water  in  both  these  wells  stands  just  at  the  s'urface  of 
the  ground,  with  slight  overflow. 

JEFFERSON    COUNTY. 

Borings  for  water  supply  were  made  in  the  summer  of  1900 
at  Pratt  City  by  Messrs.  Canfield  &  Irwin,  of  St.  Louis. 

Well  No.  1,  on  the  ridge  between  the  old  No.  1  slope  and  the  creek, 
and  on  the  edge  of  the  fault;  depth,  354  feet;  cased  50  feet;  323  feet  of 
4-inch  discharge,  and  308  1-2  feet  of  1  1-3-inch  air  pipe;  stand  during  dry 
.weather,— 76  1-4  feet,  falling  on  pumping  to  —80  or  —85  feet;  yield,  2CO  gal- 
lons per  minute;  water  soft  and  pleasant  to  the  taste.  The  boring  passed 
through  alternating  strata  of  sandstone  and  slate  of  varying  degree  of 
hardness,  and  a  4-foot  seam  of  coal  at  320  feet. 

Well' No.  2,  ICO  yards  west  of  No.  1;  depth  4C5  feet;  has  not  been  satis- 
factory and  is  now  seldom  used. 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallcn  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations; recomputed  in  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 


COAL  MEASURES.  97 

Two  other  wells  may  be  noted  in  this  vicinity.  In  the  N.  E. 
quarter,  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  20,  Township  17,  Range  3,  W. 
the  Pratt  Company  has  a  well  in  which  a  flow  was  obtained  at 
65  feet,  but  lost  at  500  feet.  The  well  was1  plugged  at  85  feet 
and  has  since  maintained  a  slight  flow.  In  the  S.  E.  quarter 
N.  E.  quarter  of  the  same  section  Mr.  W.  A.  Brown,  of  Elyton, 
has  a  well  200  feet  deep,  which  has  a  good  flow. 

In  section  26,  Township  18,  Range  8  west  one  mile  above 
the  mouth  of  Indian  creek,  a  boring  was  made  to  the  depth  of 
640  feet  prospecting  for  coal.  From  this  boring  comes  over- 
flowing water  which  fills  an  inch  pipe.  Along  with  the  water 
is  also  inflammable  gas. 

FAYETTE    COUNTY. 

Only  one  artesion  record  is  available  from  Fayette  County. 
A  well  was  bored  in  1900  by  W.  F.  Little  at  the  court  house, 
Fayette.  Depth,  between  500  and  600  feet.  Between  200  and 
300  feet  a  seam  of  coal  4  feet  thick  was  struck.  No  water  was 
obtained. 

TUSCALOOSA    COUNTY. 

In  the  city  of  Tuscaloosa  and  a  few  miles  above,  at  Holt, 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  artesian  wells  have  been  bored  into 
the  sandstones  and  rocks  of  the  Coal.  Measures  with  succes's, 
while  at  Kellerman,  about  20  miles  northeast,  a  boring  to  the 
depth  of  1000  1-2  feet  failed  to  get  water. 

At  the  hosiery  mills'  in  the  suburbs  of  Tuscaloosa,  is  the  well 
of  Rosenau  Brothers,  drilled  by  Heflin  Brothers  in  1903.  Its 
depth  is'  520  feet;  diameter,  6  inches;  water  obtained  at  325 
feet  rises  to  within  14  feet  of  the  surface;  »*sed  in  the  mills; 
good  drinking  water ;  analysis  is  below.  Record :  Soil,  o  to 
20  feet;  quicksand  and  gravel,  30  to  115  feet;  thence  to  bottom 
of  the  boring  alternations  of  sandstones  and  slates  of  the  Coal 
Measures,  reported  by  the  drillers  to  be  limestones'  and  cherts. 
At  another  boring,  however,  for  Mr.  B.  Friedman,  at  the  site 
of  his  proposed  furnace  only  a  few  miles  distant,  a  drilling  to 
the  depth  of  1000  feet  showed  no  limestone  or  chert,  but  only 
sandstones,  slates,  and  coal. 


98  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

The  analysis  of  the  hosiery  mill  water,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is 
as  follows : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Hosiery-mill  well,   Tuscaloosa. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    5.9 

Sodium    (Na)    403.7 

Lithium    (Li)    trace . 

Magnesium    (Mg)    14.9 

Calcium   (Ca)    70.0 

Iron    (Fe)    .5 

Chlorine   (Cl)    703.0 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  : 2.2 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3) 152.1 

Silica    (SiOa)    17.3 


1369.6 


The  water  from  the  hosiery-mill  well  is  much  used  by  the 
people  of  Tuscaloosa  and  is  reputed  to  have  decided  medicinal 
qualities. 

The  well  at  Kellerman,  on  the  property  of  the  Central  Coal 
and  Iron  Company,  also  bored  by  Heflin  Brothers  in  1903,  to 
a  depth  of  1000  1-2  feet  into  the  strata  of  the  Coal  Measures 
consisting  of  sandstones,  shales,  and  four  seams  of  coal,  did 
not  get  water  in  any  useful  quantity.  This  may  be,  in  part  at 
least,  due  to  the  altitude,  which  is  500  to  600  feet  above  tide. 

The  other  well  mentioned  above,  at  the  Friedman  furnace 
site  near  Tuscaloosa,  passed  through  similar  strata  to  a  depth 
of  1010  feet.  No  record  is  made  of  the  water  in  this  well, 
which  was,  however,  bored  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  for 
the  underlying  coal.  It  is  quite  probable  that  it  would  yield 
water,  ^as  the  altitude  of  the  mouth  of  the  well  is'  not  much 
above  that  of  the  hosiery  mill. 

Tuscaloosa  City  well.  In  the  summer  of  1905  a  boring  was 
made  by  the  city  near  the  Court  House  to  the  depth  of  1511 
feet,  Mr.  Heflin  being  the  contractor.  Diameter  of  well,  8 
inches.  Depth  to  solid  rock  about  90  feet.  The  casing  went 
down  into  the  rock  ten  or  fifteen  feet.  No  reliable  record  of  the 
strata  passed  through  is  available,  but  the  measures  below  the 
surface  covering  of  sand  and  clay  as  s'hown  elsewhere  in  the 
vicinity  in  other  borings  are  the  usual  succession  of  sandstones 
shales,  conglomerates,  etc.  of  the  Coal  Measures,  The  water 
rises  in  the  well  to— 65  feet  and  is  by  estimate  lowered  by  pump- 


COAL   MEASURES.  99 

ing  10—150  feet,  and  the  estimated  yield  is  15,000  gallons  a 
day. 

Three  miles  up  the  river  from  Tuscaloosa,  at  the  furnace  of 
the  Central  Coal  and  Iron  Company,  five  wells  were  drilled  in 
1903  by  Heflin  Brothers.  No.  I  well  was  544  feet  deep;  No. 
5,  200  feet  deep;  and  Nos.  2,  3,  and  4  were  of  intermediate 
depths.  No.  I  yields  50  gallons  per  minute ;  No.  2,  85  gal- 
lons; No.  3,  150  gallons;  No.  5,  about  200  gallons.  Measure- 
ments were  made  by  testing  one  well  at  a  time.  Water  was 
found  about  60  feet  below  the  surface.  No  advantage  was 
secured  by  lowering  the  water  in  the  wells  below  70  feet, 
and  when  this  was  done  water  could  be  heard  running  into  the 
well.  The  water-bearing  sand  rock  is  about  89  feet  above  sea 
level.  No  decrease  was  observed  in  No.  2  after  No.  5  was 
bored,  and  it  is'  not  known  what,  if  any,  effect  Nos.  3  and  4  have 
on  No.  5.  The  water  is  used  for  drinking  purposes  alone,  as 
it  carries  too  much  salt  to  be  used  in  the  boilers,  which  are 
supplied  from  the  river. 

The  water  from  well  No.  i,  which  is  on  the  hill  near  the 
Semet-Solvay  ovens  and  which  is  much  deeper  than  the  others, 
is  quite  similar  to  that  from  No.  5,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  analy- 
sis' below : 

Both  analysis  by  Mr.  H.  Buel,*  Chemist  of  the  Central 
Iron  Company. 

Analyses  of  water  from  wells  at  Holt. 


Sodium    (Na) 

Parts 
No.  1 
152  63 

per  million. 
No.5 
177  93 

Potassium   (K)         .            

8  17 

12  74 

Magnesium  (Mg)   
Calcium  (Ca) 

31.12 

84  00 

28.11 
80  97 

Chlorine   (Cl)       

449  °5 

474  49 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  
Carbonic   acid    (HCOs) 

5.43 
94  09 

5.55 
26  69 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2Os,Al2Oo)    

13  69 

13  01 

Silica  (SiOo) 

75  52 

86  80 

Organic   matter 

103  90 

106  47 

Hydrogen  sulphide  (H2S)  

1.54 

947.80   1012.76 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations. Recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S 
Geological  Survey. 


100  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

VALLEY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

In  the  geologic  sketch  it  has  been  shown  that  the  Tennessee 
Valley  in  Alabama  is  of  two  fold  character.  The  stretch  from 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  State  down  to  Guntersville  belongs 
to  the  Appalachian  valleys  already  considered,  and  only  that 
part  of  the  State  in  which  the  river  has  a  westerly  course  is'  to 
be  included  in  the  present  division.  As  stated,  the  strata  are 
mainly  lower  Carboniferous  limestones,  with  their  intercalated 
sandstones  near  the  top  of  the  series.  The  lower  sandstones  of 
the  Coal  Measures  cap  the  limestone  east  of  Huntsville,  but 
areas  where  this  is  the  case  would  belong  rather  to  the  preced- 
ing division. 

SHALLOW    WATERS. 

In  the  Tennessee  Valley  proper,  therefore,  the  strata  have  a 
gentle  dip  toward  the  south,  and,  except  at  the  western  edge 
of  the  region,  the  rocks  are  covered  by  residual  matter  result- 
ing from  their  decay.  This  covering  consists  of  clays  and  loams, 
with  numerous'  angular  fragments  of  chert — the  broken-up 
remnants  of  the  chert  layers  with  which  the  limestone  are  so 
generally  interbedded.  Good  supplies  of  surface  water  from 
springs  and  open  wells  are  to  be  looked  for  except  where  the 
soil  is  too  thoroughly  underdrained  into  the  caverns  and  chan- 
nels of  the  omnipresent  limestones;  but  the  water  which  finds 
its'  way  into  these  caverns  emerges  again  as  "big  springs/'  of 
which  those  at  Huntsville  (Plate  II.)  and  Tuscumbia  (Plate 
XI)  are  the  most  famous  examples.  From  the  nature  of  the 
materials  with  which  they  come  in  contact  in  their  underground 
passage,  these  waters  are  generally  more  or  less  highly  charged 
with  carbonate  of  lime  and  carbonate  of  magnesia. 

The  area  north  of  the  river,  extending  from  the  Tennessee 
line  southward  for  about  15  miles,  underlain  by  the  more  sili- 
ceous limestones,  has  more  abundant  surface  or  hillside  springs, 
while  the  red  lands  in  the  immediate  valley  of  the  river,  as  well 
as  those  South  of  Little  Mountain  in  Moulton  Valley,  are  rather 
characterized  by  lime  sinks,  caves,  and  big  springs'.  The  depth 
of  the  surface  soils,  however,  in  both  divisions  insures  a  fairly 
abundant  supply  of  underground  water. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

of 


VALLEY  OF  THE;  TENNESSEE.  101 

MINERAL  WATERS. 
CHALYBEATE  SPRINGS. 

These  are  perhaps  the  most  numerous  of  the  mineral  waters 
of  this  as'  well  as  of  other  sections.  They  are  common  at  the 
base  of  the  capping  sandstones  of  the  spurs  of  the  Cumber- 
lands  east  of  the  Huntsville  meridian,  and  especially  where  a 
coal  seam  underlies. 

In  the  upper  or  Chester  or  Bangor  limestone  division  of  the 
Subcarboniferous  one  or  two  thick  beds'  of  sandstone  are  in- 
tercalated between  the  limestones,  and  at  the  contacts  of  the 
two  rocks  mineral  springs  are  often  seen,  the  most  numerous 
of  these  being  the  chalybeate,  though  sulphur  springs  also 
occur.  Examples  of  thes'e  are  the  Ligori  Springs,  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  Township  6,  Rang-e  1 1  W. ;  and  the  Franklin 
Springs,  in  Section  16,  of  the  same  township  and  range. 
According  to  Professor  Tourney's  analysis  of  the  water  of  the 
Lyigon  Springs,  it  contains  free  carbonic  acid,  sodium  chloride, 
sulphate  of  iron,  and  a  trace  of  sulphate  of  magnesium. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  spring  is  another  containing 
chloride  and  sulphate  of  iron  and  free  carbonic  acid.  At  the 
Franklin  Springs,  besides  the  sulphur  springs  for  which  the 
place  is  noted,  there  is  a  chalybeate  spring  which,  according 
to  Professor  Tourney,  contains  in  addition  to  the  iron  only  a 
little  lime. 

At  the  base  of  the  Bangor  limestone,  where  it  is  contact  with 
the  St.  Louis  limestone,  is  another  horizon  of  the  chalybeate 
waters,  which  break  out  in  many  places  at  the  foot  of  Little 
Mountain. 

Lastly,  in  the  lowermost  of  the  Subcarboniferous  limestones 
which  immediately  overlie  the  Devonian  black  shale,  chalybeate 
waters  spring  up  in  connection  with  sulphur  waters  but  some- 
times alone.  Of  this  class  is  the  Pettusville  Spring,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  Section  10,  Township  I,  Range  4  W. 

SULPHUR  SPRINGS. 

While  the  chalybeate  springs  are  more  numerous  the  sul- 
phur springs  are  generally  more  valued  as  places  of  res'ort  for 
health  and  pleasure  seekers.  The  most  important  of  these 


102  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

springs  in  the  Tennessee  Valley,  as  elsewhere  in  the  Appa- 
lachian division,  have  their  origin  in  the  Devonian  black  s'hale, 
because,  of  the  organic  matter  and  pyrite  nodules  which  it  con- 
tains; and  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  chalybeate  springs  are 
often  found  associated  with  sulphur  waters,  from  this  source. 
The  exposures'  of  the  black  shale  in  this  area  are  mostly  con- 
fined to  Elk  River,  Limestone  Creek,  and  the  headwaters  of 
Flint  River,  all  in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  State. 

The  Moore  Spring,  12  miles  north  of  Athens,  on  Maple 
Creek,  a  tributary  of  Elk  River,  according  to  Professor  Tourney 
had  a  temperature  of  68  degrees,  while  the  atmospheric  tem- 
perature was  71.6  degrees.  The  water  contains,  besides,  the 
sulphur,  free  carbonic  acid,  carbonate  of  lime,  sodium  chloride, 
and  traces  of  carbonates  of  iron  and  potassium. 

The  Wooley  Springs,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  39,  Town- 
ship i,  Range  3  W.,  once  much  visited  but  now  practically 
abandoned,  include  a  chalybeate  and  an  alum  spring  in  addi- 
tion to  the  white  sulphur  spring. 

The  Johnson  well,  near  Meridianville,  in  Section  26,  Town- 
ship 2,  Range  I  W.,  is  one  of  the  best  known  springs  in  this 
section.  It  also  embraces,  in  addition  to  the  sulphur  springs, 
an  alum  spring.  This  spring  is  on  a  tributary  of  Flint  River 
and  appears  to  rise  from  the  lower  Subcarboniferous'  limestone* 
and^not  from  the  black  shale. 

Another  sulphur  spring,  on  Barren  Fork  of  Flint  River,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  26,  Township  I,  Range  I  E.,  is  as- 
sociated with  a  chalybeate  spring. 

At  New  Market,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter,  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 33,  Township  I,  Range  2  E.,  a  well  was  bored  for  oil  to  a 
depth  of  looo  feet  or  more.  In  this  well  sulphur  water  was1 
struck  at  a  depth  of  118  feet  and  again  at  700  feet.  The  water 
rises  above  the  surface  and  is  used  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town. 

Stewart's  well,  near  Florence,  was  examined  by  Professor 
Tuomey,  and  found  to  contain,  in  addition  to  the  sulphur,  free 
carbonic  acid,  sodium  chloride,  and  sodium  carbonate,  with 
traces  of  magnesium  carbonate  and  alumina. 

Another  horizon  of  sulphur  waters  is  that  mentioned  above 
for  chalybeate  waters,  viz,  the  contact  of  the  intercalated  sand- 
stone beds  and  the  limestone  in  the  upper  Subcarboniferous 
or  Bangor  group.  At  Franklin  Springs,  in  Section  16,  Town- 


VALLEY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE.  103 

ship  6,  Range  n  W.,  already  mentioned  under  "Chalybeate 
springs,"  is  a  sulphur  spring.  Again,  at  the  base  of  Little 
Mountain  sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters  are  seen  near  Town 
Creek  station,  on  the  Southern  Railroad. 

Farther  east,  in  Morgan  County,  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
Section  19,  Township  6,  Range  I  W.,  are  the  Valhermoso 
Springs,  two  sulphur  and  one  chalybeate,  similarly  situated 
geologically  at  or  near  the  contact  of  the  sandstones  with  the 
limestones. 

ALKALINE-SALINE  SPRINGS. 

In  Lauderdale  County,  near  the  banks  of  Shoal  Creek,  are 
many  springs  which  have  attained  some  reputation.  The  best 
known  of  these  is  Bailey  Springs,  (Plate  XII)  consisting  of  a 
group  of  springs  with  water  of  varying  quality.  A  sample  of 
the  water  from  a  spring  recently  improved  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Moody, 
below  those  shown  in  plate,  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  R.  S. 
Hodges,  with  the  result  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Moody's  Spring  at  Bailey  Springs. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    1.4 

Sodium    (Na)    2.4 

Magnesium    (Mg)    2.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    16.0 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2Os,  AlaOg)   1.6 

Chlorine   (Cl) 5.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)   3.8 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3) 57.0 

Silica    |SiO2)    8.1 

98.2 


Other  springs  here  are  called  chalybeate  and  iron  springs  and 
are  reputed  to  have  special  curative  qualities.  The  grounds'  at 
Bailey's  are  well  kept  and  the  accommodation  is  ample  for  a 
large  number  of  guests.  Much  of  the  patronage  from  a  dis- 
tance comes  from  Memphis  and  other  points  to  the  west  in  Miss- 
issippi. 

The  small  house  or  pavilion  in  the  foreground  of  Plate  XII 
is  over  the  "Rock  Spring." 

Professor  Tuomey  mentions  several  other  springs  in  the  same 
general  region,  viz.,  Todd's,  Lee's,  Langford's,  Witherspoon's, 


104  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

etc.,  but  none  of  thes'e,  so  far  as  the  writer  is  aware,  is  now 
fitted  tip  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors. 

ACID   SPRINGS. 

At  center  Grove,  in  Morgan  county,  W.  E.  Forman  has  a  well 
with  strongly  saline  water  of  acid  reaction  and  peculiar  com- 
position, as  may  be  seen  from  the  subjoined  analysis  by  Mr. 
Hodges : 

Analysis  of  water  from  W.  E.  Forman's  well,  Center  Grove. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    trace. 

Sodium    (Na) trace. 

Magnesium    (Mg)    28.2 

Calcium   (Ca)    23.8 

Manganese  (Mn)   26.6 

Iron  (Fe)   7.1 

Aluminum  (Al)   7.9 

Chlorine   (Cl)    trace. 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  276.0 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  trace. 

Silica  (SiOa)  50.0 

419.6 


The  large  portion  of  manganese  sulphate  is  exceptional 
among  the  waters  thus  far  examined,  and  the  presence  of 
the  sulphates,  especially  of  magnesium,  make  it  also  a  strongly 
alterative  water. 

TAB  SPRINGS. 

An  account  of  the  mineral  springs  of  the  Tennessee  Valley 
would  be  incomplete  without  some  mention  of  the  tar  springs 
which  occur  in  connection  with  the  upper  Subcarboniferous  or 
Bangor  limestones  of  Moulton  Valley.  The  westernmost  of 
these  is  reported  in  Section  27,  Township  5,  Range  15  W.,  near 
the  State  line  of  Mississippi ;  but  the  best  known  are  the  Capps 
Creek  tar  springs,  in  the  lower  part  of  Lawrence  County,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  8,  Range  6  W.,  once 
much  visited  by  the  afflicted,  who  drank  tar  water  or  took 
pills  of  the  somewhat  indurated  tarry  matter. 

On  Town  Creek,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  16,  Township 
5,  Range  9  W.,  and  again  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  33, 


VALLEY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE.  105 

same  township  and  range,  an  din  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
Township  6,  Range  9  W.,  are  tar  springs,  at  all  or  most  of 
which  borings  have  been  sunk  for  oil. 

In  all  this  region  the  wells  mentioned  often  yield  rulphur, 
chn!\N^te,  and  salii-e  waters,  and  some  of  them  over  now,  as 
will  b  cninre  particularly  noted  in  the  next  section. 

ARTESIAN    PROSPECTS. 

From  the  general  account  of  the  geologic  structure  above 
given,  the  outlook  for  artesian  waters  might  be  expected  to  be 
fairly  good,  and  the  few  wells  that  have  been  bored  or  of  which 
records  have  been  obtained,  bear  out  this  expectation.  As  has 
been  intimated,  the  limestones'  are  generally  inferior  water 
bearers.  Their  capacity  in  this  respect  depends  largely  on 
the  existence  of  fissures  and  joints  and  on  other  secondary 
characters  which  cannot  be  recognized  at  the  surface.  The 
almost  universal  presence  of  chert  in  these  limestones  is'  a  fa- 
vorable circumstance  down  to  certain  depths,  for  the  leaching 
out  of  the  calcareous  parts  by  circulating  waters  leaves  the 
chert  as  an  exceedingly  open  and  porous  residue. 

Beds  of  open-textured  sandstone  also  lie  intercalated  be- 
tween the  limestones  prevailing  in  the  territory  south  of  the 
river,  or  rather  south  of  the  range  known  as  Little  Mountain, 
in  Moulton  Valley.  Many  borings  have  been  made  in  this  ter- 
ritory in  search  of  petroleum  and  many  also  probably  for  water, 
with  reasonable  success,  though  flowing  wells  are  comparatively 
rare. 

NEW  MARKET. 

Very  few  records  are  available  of  borings  north  of  the  river 
— only  those  of  the  New  Market  well  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N. 
W.  quarter  Section  33,  Township  i,  Range  2  E.  and  of  two 
wells  at  Hazel  Green,  near  Huntsville,  all  of  which  were  bored 
for  oil. 


106  DETAILS:     APPALACHIAN  DIVISION. 

The  record  of  the  New  Market  well  is  as1  follows : 
Record  of  New  Market  Well. 


Feet. 

Soil     8 

Cherty  rocks    25 

Limestone  and  chert  30 

Black  shale  18 

Gray  sandstone   2 

Limestone  and  shales   965 


In  this  well  the  Subcarboniferous  group  is  represented  by 
the  first  three  of  the  series,  the  Devonian  by  black  shale  and 
sandstone  and  the  Silurian  by  limestones  with  shale  parting. 
The  well  was  bored  in  1890,  with  diamond  drill ;  diameter,  2 
inches ;  permanent  fresh  water  was  struck  at  22  feet  and  sulphur 
water  at  1 18  and  700  feet.  No  salt  water  or  gas  was'  found.  The 
sulphur  water  from  both  depths  mentioned  flows  above  the  sur- 
face and  is  used  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  town. 

HAZEL  GREEN. 

Of  the  wells  on  Overton  farm,  near  Hazel  Green  the  fol- 
lowing records  were  obtained. 

Well  No.  3,  first  water  struck  at  60  feet;  yield,  40  gallons  per  minute; 
stand,— 20  feet;  temperature,  52  degrees.  At  187  feet  a  black  sulphur 
water  was  struck,  and  at  217  feet  a  strong  salt  water.  No  water  was  ob- 
tained below  271  feet,  to  which  depth  the  casing  extends.  The  mouth  of 
the  well  is  667  feet  above  tide. 

Well  No.  4,  depth,  310  feet;  first  water  at  32  feet,  in  rock;  water  does 
not  flow,  but  stands  at  ground  level  except  when  gas  is  turned  in,  when 
it  is  blown  about  three  feet  above  the  surface;  yield,  150  gallons  per 
minute,  without  any  perceptible  lowering  of  the  stand;  temperature,  56 
degrees.  In  this  well  neither  sulphur  nor  salt  water  was  struck  and  no 
water  was  found  below  147  1-2  feet.  The  mouth  of  the  well  is  603  feet 
above  tide. 

These  wells  were  bored  for  oil  and  gas.  The  quantity  of  the 
latter  from  well  No.  4  is  sufficient  to  run  a  25  horse  power 
boiler. 

-  SOUTH  OF  TENNESSEE  RIVER. 

South  of  the  river  the  borings  are  very  numerous. 
Curtis  well,  about  6  miles  southeast  of  Decatur ;  bored  about 
seventy-five  years  ago;  depth,  341  feet;  flow,  about  10  gallons 


VALLEY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE.  307 

per  minute,  which  has  been  constant  in  quantity  since  the  well 
was  drilled;  water  slightly  impregnated  with  sulphuretted  h>- 
drogen  gas. 

Judge  H.  B.  Tompkin's  well — About  2  miles  east  of  Sheffield 
recently  bored;  depth,  190  feet;  50  feet  through  soft  surface 
earth.  25  feet  through  chert,  and  the  rest  through  dark  flint; 
water  rises  about  48  feet  in  the  well  and  is  raised  to  the  surface 
by  windmill  pump  ; — supply  plentiful. 

L.  W.  Deprez's  well,  at  Russellville ;  depth,  60  feet ;  the  water 
rose  about  38  feet  in  the  well. 

E.  M.  Harris's  well,  4  miles  southeast  of  Russellville;  depth, 
about  100  feet;  water  rose  to  within  15  feet  of  the  surface. 

The  numerous  borings,  some  of  them  to  the  depth  of  more 
than  1700  feet,  which  have  been  made  in  search  of  oil  and 
natural  gas  have  in  most  cases  yielded  salt  water.  As  has  been 
mentioned  above  these  wells  are  most  common  in  the  country 
about  Moulton  and  Russellville,  since  it  is  here  that  the  tar 
springs  abound,  and  these  have  been  selected  as  the  most  prom- 
ising places  for  borings.  The  Goyer  wells,  in  Section  29, 
Township  7,  Range  6  W.  are  perhaps  the  best  known.  The  well 
at  Hartsell,  1730  feet  deep,  found  fresh  water  at  30  feet,  sul- 
phur at  160  feet,  brackish  water  at  352  feet,  and  salt  water  at 
1730  feet.  A  salt  well  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  10, 
Township  7.  Range  5  W.  has  a  depth  not  accurately  ascertained 
but  propably  less  than  200  feet.  The  water  overflows,  as  it 
does  also  in  some  of  the  wells  in  Moulton  Valley.  However, 
the  writer  knows  of  no  well  in  this  region  which  has  been  sunk 
for  water,  oil  being  the  thing  sought.  While  little  account  has 
been  taken  of  the  water  obtained  in  these  borings  it  is  probable 
that  all  of  them  have  a  supply  sufficient  for  ordinary  purposes, 
if  the  quality  be  suitable,  but  in  only  a  few  of  them  does  the 
water  rise  above  the  surface. 


COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 

The  general  topographic  and  geologic  features  of  the  Coastal 
Plain,  which  embraces  about  three-fifths  of  the  area  of  the 
State,  have  been  sketched  above  in  Chapter  II ;  but  since  most 
of  the  artesian  wells  of  the  State  (more  than  95  per  cent,  of 
those  recorded  in  this  report)  are  in  this  territory,  it  is  desir- 
able that  the  stratigraphic  relations  of  the  formations  be  pre- 
sented somewhat  more  in  detail. 

For  shallow  waters  this  division,  like  the  Appalachian,  is  de- 
pendent in  part  on  the  residual  materials  provided  by  the  decay 
of  the  underlying  stratified  rocks;  but  in  addition  to  these  a 
thin  coating,  25  or  30  feet  in  thickness,  of  loam,  sand,  and  peb- 
bles— the  Lafayette  formation  post-Tertiary  age — has  been 
spread  unconformably  upon  the  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  strata 
over  the  entire  Coastal  Plain;  and  where  these  deposits  have 
not  been  carried  away  by  erosion  they,  of  course,  determine  the 
s'urface-water  conditions  in  much  greater  degree  than  do  the 
residual  soils  of  the  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  as  indicated  by  the  map, 
(PL  i.)  another  formation,  in  many  respects  similar  to  the  La- 
fayette but  older,  covers  great  areas  of  the  St.  Stephens  and 
post-Eocene  formations  down  to  the  borders  of  the  sea.  This 
is  the  Grand  Gulf  formation,  which  will  be  treated  in  detail  la- 
ter. 

The  artesian  systems  of  the  Coastal  Plain  are  provided  by 
the  strata  of  the  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  formations.  The 
general  stratigraphic  relations  of  these  formations  are  shown 
in  fig.  21,  p.  62. 

In  the  great  area  embraced  by  the  Coastal  Plain,  uniformity 
in  the  artesian  conditions  of  the  same  formation  in  different 
parts  is  not  to  be  looked  for  nor  does  it  exist.  In  consequence, 
it  will  be  expedient  to  give  the  notes  on  wells',  etc.,  under  sev- 
eral heads,  those  in  which  the  conditions  are  approximately  sim- 
ilar being  grouped  together.  It  will  also  be  expedient  to  dis- 
cuss the  subject  by  counties,  following  in  general  a  geographi- 
cal order.  It  should  be  understood,  however,  that  in  the  very 
nature  of  things  this  dual  arrangement  can  not  be  followed  ab- 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT.  109 

solutely,  for  the  conditions  are  not  identical  in  any  two  coun- 
ties. 

The  wells'  which  derive  their  water  supply  from  the  Cre- 
taceous strata  fall  naturally  into  two  groups,  which,  in  geo- 
graphical distribution,  coincide  approximately  with  the  drain- 
age areas  of  Tombigbee  and  Alabama  rivers  on  the  west  and 
that  of  the  Chattahoochee  on  the  east.  The  Cretaceous  well 
records  by  counties  will  be  given  in  these  two  groups,  preceded 
by  such  additional  details  of  the  stratification  as  may  be  neces- 
s'ary  for  the  fuller  understanding  of  the  artesian  conditions. 

The  Tertiary  wells  are  few  in  number  as  compared  with  the 
Cretaceous.  They  will  constitute  a  third  group  and  their  de- 
scription by  counties  will  also  be  proceeded  by  such  addition- 
al explanatory  details  of  stratification  as  can  be  obtained. 

The  geographical  distribution  of  the  wells  of  the  Coastal 
Plain  is  shown,  at  least  approximately,  on  the  geologic  map 
(PL  I.)  The  marks  indicate  the  locations'  of  groups  of  wells 
rather  than  of  individual  wells,  it  being  manifestly  impossible 
on  a  small  scale  map  to  mark  each  of  the  1414  wells  of  which 
records  have  been  obtained. 

From  this  map  it  will  be  apparent  that  most  of  the  wells 
are  on  the  outcrop  of  the  Selma  chalk  (prairie  region).  These 
get  their  water  supply  mainly  from  the  Eutaw  sands,  but  some 
of  the  deeper  borings,  especially  those  near  the  northern  bor- 
der of  the  chalk,  penetrate  into  the  still  lower  Tuscaloosa  strata, 
also  water  bearing. 

The  wells  on  the  Eutaw  outcrop  get  their  water  in  part  from 
the  Eutaw  and  in  part  from  the  Tuscaloosa,  according  to  depth, 
while  those  located  on  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  begin  and  end 
in  it. 

South  of  the  chalk  are  some  wells,  both  in  the  Cretaceous 
and  in  the  Tertiary,  which  derive  their  water  supply  from  the 
uppermost  Cretaceous  (Ripley,  or  Blue  Marl)  strata.  This  is 
especially  the  case  in  the  eastern  counties — Pike,  Bullock,  Bar- 
bour,  and  Russell. 

The  following  figures  will  show  perhaps  more  clearly  than 
does  the  map  the  concentration  of  the  wells  in  Cretaceous 
strata.  Of  the  whole  number  (1414)  of  which  accounts  are 
given  herein,  1.220,  or  a  little  over  86  per  cent,  are  in  the  Cre- 
taceous, while  only  136,  or  not  quite  10  per  cent.,  are  in  the 


110  DETAILS:  COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Tertiary,  the  remaining  4  per  cent,  being  in  the  older  forma- 
tions of  the  Appalachian  division. 

The  map  and  figures  will  further  show  the  crowding  of  the 
wells  in  the  Cretaceous  counties  west  of  Lowndes,  viz,  Dallas, 
202;  Perry,  79;  Marengo,  49;  Hale,  192;  Greene,  323;  Sumter, 
59 ;  and  Pickens,  94 ;  making  998,  or  something  more  than  70 
per  cent,  of  the  whole  number  recorded.  In  these  counties 
there  are  also  many  old  wells  bored  before  the  war  and  now 
abandoned  or  fallen  into  decay,  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  get 
any  information,  and  the  records'  are  therefore  defective,  ex- 
cept in  the  case  of  Greene  County,  where  Judge  G.  B.  Mobley, 
of  Eutaw,  for  many  years  past  greatly  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject, has  collected  notes  from  wrhich  it  has  been  possible  to  get 
a  nearly  correct  list  of  that  county. 

In  the  Tertiary  area  there  is  no  similar  concentration  any- 
where, nor  is  the  whole  number  of  wells  very  great — 136.  It 
will  be  seen  that  most  of  the  borings  follow  the  railroads,  the 
exceptions  being  mainly  the  wells  recently  sunk  in  search  of 
oil,  e.  g.,  in  the  Salt-wells  region  of  Washington  and  Clarke 
and  the  lower  parts  of  Mobile  and  Baldwin  counties,  and  at 
Citronelle,  Mobile  County,  and  Roberts,  Escambia  County. 

In  the  salt-wells  region  referred  to,  as  in  parts  of  the  Cre- 
taceous prairie  region,  there  are  many  old  wells  sunk  years  ago 
of  which  no  records  are  now  obtainable,  indeed,  the  very  loca- 
tion of  many  of  them  can  not  be  ascertained. 

Most  of  the  artesian  wells  in  the  Tertiary  section  obtain  their 
supply  from  the  great  sandy  Nanafalia  formation  and  its  ad- 
jacent Tuscahoma  above,  and  Naheola  below.  A  few,  like  those 
at  Geneva,  get  water  in  the  Claiborne  or  Buhrstone.  At  Brewton 
the  shallow  wells,  less  than  100  feet  in  depth,  probably  do  not 
go  deeper  than  the  Grand  Gulf,  which  there  forms  the  surface ; 
but  the  deep  borings  get  water  in  the  St.  Stephens  strata. 

The  deep  wells  in  Mobile  and  Baldwin  counties,  starting  in 
Grand  Gulf  strata  at  the  surface,  bring  up  from  depths  of  700 
to  1550  feet,  shells  characteristic  of  the  Miocene  formations 
exposed  along  the  banks  of  the  Chattahoochee  river  and  first 
brought  into  notice  by  D.  W.  Langdon,  of  the  Alabama  Geo- 
logical Survey.  The  outcrop  of  these  Miocene  formations 
in  Alabama  has  as  yet  been  observed  at  only  one  point,  i.  e., 
near  Roberts',  Escambia  County,  on  the  banks  of  Conecuh  rivet, 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT.  Ill 

but  exposures  are  numerous  just  across  the  line  in  Florida,  at 
Oak  Grove  and  other  localities. 

The  flowing  wells  of  the  Coastal  Plain  are  practically  con- 
fined to  the  lowlands,  the  low  relief  precluding  the  possibility 
of  any  great  hydrostatic  head.  As  a  consequence,  wells  of  this 
kind  are  not  numerous  outside  of  the  great  river  valleys. 

The  accopanying  sketch  map  (PL  XIII.)  shows  approxi- 
mately the  artesian  systems  as  they  have  been  outlined  above. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  wells  in  the  Tertiary  are  not  numerous 
enough  or  sufficiently  well  distributed  to  make  it  possible  to 
outline  the  separate  basins',  as  can  be  done  in  the  Cretaceous. 
Marks,  however,  are  attached  to  all  the  artesian  well 
areas  showing  the  formation  from  which  it  is  probable  the 
water  supply  comes.  These  indicate  that  the  Nanafalia  and 
the  immediately  adjacent  sandy  formations  above  and  below  it 
are  the  main  source  in  the  Tertiary,  as  the  Eutaw  stands  are 
in  the  Cretaceous. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS. 
TOMBIGBEE-ALABAMA-CONECUH  RIVERS  DRAINAGE. 


From  about  the  meridian  of  Montgomery  westward  the  Cre- 
taceous' strata  in  Alabama  exhibit  four  well-marked  divisions, 
which,  in  descending  order,  are  as  follows : 

1.  A  series  of  dark-gray  or  bluish  sandy,  micaceous  clays 
which  weather  into  yellow  micaceous  sands,  impure  limestones 
with  many  casts  of  fossils',  then  sandy  strata  again — in  all  be- 
tween 200  and  300  feet  thick.    This  division  has  been  called  the 
Ripley,  from  a  locality  in  Mississippi. 

2.  An  impure  chalky,  argillaceous  limestone,  or  tolerably 
uniform  composition,  known  as  the  Selma  chalk.     The  thick- 
ness of  this  division  is  about  1,000  feet  in  the  western  part  of 
the  State  and  through  Mississippi,  but  toward  the  east  it  thins 
down  and  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished  east  of  Montgomery. 

3.  A  series  of  laminated  sands  and  sandy  clays',  at  least  300 
feet  thick,  knowrn  as  the  Eutaw  formation. 

4.  A  great  series,  at  least  100  feet  thick,  of  variously  colored 
s'ands  and  laminated  massive  clays,  some  of  which  are  filled 
with  the  impressions'  of  leaves,  often  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 


112  DETAILS:  COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

vation.  To  this  series,  which  is,  in  part  at  least,  equivalent  to 
the  Potomac  formation  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  name  Tusca- 
loosa  formation  has  been  given. 

The  Selma  chalk,  or  "rotten  limestone,"  as  it  was  once  call- 
red,  is  deficient  in  surface  waters  except  during  wet  seasons, 
and  it  is  because  of  this  and  the  fact  that  the  best  farming 
lands  of  the  State — the  black  prairie  lands — are  derived  from 
it  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  artesian  wells  are  to  be 
found  located  on  this  chalk.  Especially  is  this  true  of 
the  earlier  wells,  which  were  almost  without  exception  in  the 
prairie  region.  Recently,  however,  deep  wells'  have  been  sunk 
in  other  Cretaceous  strata  which  are  not  lacking  in  surface 
water. 

In  the  western  part  of  this  drainage  area  the  water-bearing 
formations  are  the  Tuscaloosa  and  the  Eutaw,  which  are  pre- 
vailingly sands  and  clays  in  many  alternations.  The  Ripley 
calcareous  sands  are  also  utilized  to  some  slight  extent  in  the 
western  part,  but  they  become  more  and  more  important  in 
this'  respect  to  the  east,  as  will  be  seen  below. 

In  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  the  borings  have  been  compar- 
atively few,  and  a  general  statement  of  the  water  horizons  can 
not  be  made  with  certainty.  At  the  summit  of  the  formation 
there  is  usually  a  body  of  purple  or  red  clay  of  considerable- 
thickness  through  which  the  boring  must  go  before  water  is 
reached.  Mr.  John  I  Hawk,  of  Selma,  who  has  had  much 
experience  in  this  business,  says  that  when  he  strikes  the  "pink 
kaolin"  he  usually  stops,  as  he  is  not  likely  to  get  water  for  at 
least  100  feet.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  formation  the  borings 
have  been  more  numerous,  especially  in  Tuscaloosa  County, 
where  the  records  show  that  after  a  depth  of  20  to  30  feet  of 
loose  materials',  the  borings  go  through  100  to  200  feet  of  what 
is  called  "blue  rock,"  below  which  as  a  rule  a  supply  of  water  is 
obtained. 

As  regards  the  Eutaw  sands  the  case  is  different,  for  by  far 
the  greater  proportion  of  the  artesian  wells  in  Alabama  derive 
their  water  from  this  horizon.  Mr.  John  I.  Hawk  has  fur- 
nished the  following  notes.  Most  of  the  wells  bored  by  him 
have  been  in  the  Selma  chalk  area,  this'  being  the  "blue  rock" 
of  the  well  borers,  but  not  the  blue  rock  above  mentioned  in 
the  Tuscaloosa  formation.  Mr.  Hawk  says : 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  113 

"Once  through  the  blue  rock,  we  strike  a  sand  rock  varying  from  1  to 
3  feet  in  thickness,  and  next,  small  beds  of  black  and  white  sand  with 
a  green  coloring  in  it  (green  sand)  and  interspersed  with  green  soap- 
stone  (laminated  clay.)  The  first  water  is  in  these  strata  of  sand,  and 
it  comes  up  according  to  the  elevation;  in  very  low  places  it  will  over- 
flow, but  it  never  makes  a  strong  stream. 

"From  75  to  100  feet  below  the  sand  rock  mentioned,  we  encounter  a 
very  hard  rock  (I  think  a  white  lime  rock),  varying  in  thickness  in  dif- 
ferent sections  from  2  inches  to  2  feet;  once  through  this  rock  we  get 
the  second  stream  of  water  in  much  the  same  kind  of  strata,  and  this 
water  will  rise  about  12  feet  higher  than  the  first  stream. 

"About  75  to  100  feet  below  the  hard  cover  rock  just  mentioned,  we 
have  what  we  call  white  soapstone,  from  10  to  40  feet  in  thickness;  then 
a  stratum^  of  sand  whiter  and  coarser  than  any  of  the  preceding,  inter- 
spersed with  green  soapstone  and  the  same  green  coloring  in  the  sand. 
This  bed  is  from  40  to  75  feet  thick  and  from  it  comes  our  third  water, 
which  rises  about  10  feet  higher  than  the  second. 

"Immediately  below  this  is  a  bed  of  green  soapstone,  from  50  to  90 
feet  thick,  followed  by  a  marl  from  20  to  50  feet  thick,  and  beneath  the 
marl  we  have  a  very  coarse  sand  interspersed  with  sandrock  and  soap- 
stone,  from  20  to  40  feet  in  thickness.  In  this  we  get  our  fourth  stream, 
which  rises  from  30  to  40  feet  higher  than  first  stream  and  is  very  strong. 

"Below  this  the  pink  kaolin  begins,  there  being  about  400  feet  or  a 
little  more  between  the  blue  rock  and  the  pink  formation.  I  have  bored 
into  this  pink  formation  from  40  to  100  feet,  but  have  never  gone  through 
it,  nor  increased  the  supply  of  water  any  by  boring  beyond  the  coarse 
white  sand." 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  area  under  consideration  the  drain- 
age i'c  divided  between  Alabama  and  Conecuh  rivers  in  Pike 
and  Bullock  counties,  and  the  artesian  characters  in  these  two 
counties  are  transitional,  having  many  points  of  resemblance 
to  those  of  the  Chattahoochee  area  in  Russell  and  Barbour 
counties. 

DISCUSSION  BY  COUNTIES. 
LAMAR    COUNTY, 

The  surface  formation  in  this  county  is  the  Tuscaloosa,  with 
a  capping  of  Lafayette  sands  and  pebbles  where  erosion  has 
not  been  too  great.  Underlying  these  two  formations  and  ex- 
posed along  the  valleys  of  some  of  the  streams  in  the  northeas- 
tern part  of  the  county  are  the  sandstones  and  shales  of  the 
Coal  Measures'. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

The  sands  and  pebble  beds  and  laminated  clays  of  the  Tus- 
caloosa and  Lafayette  formations  afford  here,  as  elsewhere, 

8 


114    *  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ample  supplies  of  good  surface  water  in  springs  and  open  wells, 
and  as  a  consequence  few  deep  wells  have  been  needed. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  s'ands  and  clays  of  the  Tuscaloosa,  in  many  alternations 
and  with  moderate  and  uniform  westerly  or  southwesterly  dip, 
furnish  the  requisite  conditions  for  artesian  systems,  as  is 
provided  by  the  few  wells  that  have  been  bored  in  the  county 
and  by  those  in  the  adjoining  county  in  Mississippi,  Monroe. 

SULLIGENT. 

Thus  far  records'  have  been  obtained  only  of  wells  at  Sulli- 
gent,  where  three  were  bored  in  1900  by  W.  F.  Little,  of  West 
Point,  Miss.  No  record  could  be  secured  of  the  strata  passed 
through  in  these  borings. 

Town  well,  depth,  206  feet ;  3-inch  iron  casing  at  the  bottom ; 
when  first  drilled  flowed  74  gallons  per  minute ;  In  less  than  two 
years  the  casing  was  corroded  and  the  well  clogged  so  that  the 
pres'ent  yield  ( 1904)  is  only  18  gallons ;  water  rises  to  28  feet 
and  still  flows. 

Ogden  well,  250  yards  south  of  the  town  well  and  about  the 
same  depth ;  is  filled  in  and  does  not  flow  at  present. 

Stone  well,  250  yards  east  of  the  town  well  and  about  the 
same  depth;  still  flows  (1904). 

FAYETTE  COUNTY. 

The  stratigraphic  conditions  in  Fayette  County  are  prac- 
tically the  same  as  those  above  given  for  Lamar  County,  ex- 
cept that  the  surface  formations'  (Tuscaloosa  and  Lafayette) 
the  not  present  in  quite  so  great  thickness  and  the  Coal  Meas- 
ures appear  in  the  valleys  of  most  of  the  larger  streams.  What 
has  been  said  concerning  the  surface  waters  and  artesian  pros- 
pects of  Lamar  will  apply  equally  to  Fayette  County. 

The  only  artesian  well  in  the  County  of  which  a  record  is1 
available  is  at  the  court-house,  Fayette,  and  was  bored  by  W. 
F.  Little  in  1900.  Its  depth  is  between  500  and  600  feet. 
At  200-250  feet  a  seam  of  coal  4  feet  thick  was  struck.  The 
well  was  through  rock  and  was  abandoned  without  getting  any 
notable  supply  of  water. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  115 

This  particular  well,  while  starting  in  the  Tuscaloosa  forma- 
tion, soon  reaches  the  Coal  Measures',  and  has  been  mentioned 
under  that  head  (p.  97).  But  further  west  in  this  county,  the 
Tuscaloosa  formation  affords  conditions  similar  to  those  re- 
ported above  under  Lamar  County,  and  artesian  borings  should 
succeed  if  proper  localities  are  selected.  The  wells  would, 
however,  be  shallow,  since  the  rocks  of  the  Coal  Measures  are 
nowhere  very  far  below  the  surface  in  Fayette  County. 

TUSCALOOSA  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

Except  in  a  narrow  strip  in  the  southeast  corner  of  this 
county,  where  Subcarboniferous,  Silurian,  and  Cambrian  beds 
are  exposed  in  the  anticline  of  Roups  Valley,  the  Coal  Meas- 
ures should  on  general  principles,  underlie  the  entire  county, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  these  strata  are  not  revealed  either  in 
outcrop  or  by  borings  southwest  of  a  northwest-southeast  diag- 
onal passing  through  the  city  of  Tuscaloosa.  Northeast  of 
this  line  the  sands  and  clays  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  and 
the  red  loam  and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette  form  the  surface, 
with  the  older  strata  outcropping  in  the  low  grounds  of  the 
streams.  Only  the  two  younger  formations'  are  known  in  the 
southwestern  half  of  the  county,  except  along  Black  Warrior 
River,  where  the  Second  Bottom  and  other  recent  deposits 
occur.  An  account  hay  already  been  given  (p.  97-99)  of  the 
surface  and  artesian  waters  of  the  Paleozoic  half  of  the  county, 
and  this  section  is  concerned  only  with  the  Cretaceous  half. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

In  the  sands  of  the  Cretaceous  and  especially  in  the  loam 
and  pebble  beds  of  the  overlying  Lafayette  a  practically  never 
failing  supply  of  good  water  is  recovered  in  open  wells  and 
springs.  The  former  are  rarely  as  deep  as  100  feet,  and  the 
finest  springs  of  pure  water  flow  from  beneath  the  Lafayette 
mantle.  It  would  be  impracticable  to  mention  localities  of  the 
springs,  since  they  occur  almost  everywhere  that  the  contact 
of  the  Lafayette  with  an  older  formation  is  exposed  in  a  ravine 
or  bluff.  The  water,  as  a  rule,  is  remarkably  pure,  with  a  small 
content  of  solid  matter,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 


116  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

waters  of  the  open  wells  when  they  are  sunk  in  Lafayette  mate- 
rials only.  Inasmuch  as  the  Lafayette  lies  upon  the  eroded, 
uneven  surface  of  the  Tuscaloosa,  the  latter  formation  is  often 
penetrated  in  wells,  and  when  lignitic  clays  are  struck  in  such 
cases  the  water  frequently  has1  a  brackish  taste. 

The  springs  which  flow  from  beneath  the  Lafayette  gravel 
on  the  grounds  of  the  University  of  Alabama  may  be  taken  as 
fairly  representative  of  the  class.  Analysis  of  the  water  from 
one  of  these  springs,  made  by  Mr.  Hodges,  shows  the  following 
composition : 

Analysis  of  water  from  spring  at  University  of  Alabama. 


Parts  per    million. 

Potassium    (K)    .9 

Sodium    (Na)    1.8 

Magnesium    (Mg)     1.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    ." 4.9 

Iron    and   Alumina    (Fe2O3,Al2O3)    .7 

Chlorine    (Cl)    1.9 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    5.3 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3) 20.2 


Silica  (Si02). 


43.9 


In  some  cases,  while  the  total  amount  of  mineral  matter  in 
these  waters  may  be  quite  small,  yet  the  relatively  large  pro- 
portion of  some  of  the  constituents  may  give  to  the  water  a  de- 
cidedly mineral  or  medicinal  quality.  This  may  illustrated  by 
the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Ozment  Spring. 


Parts    per    million. 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.4 

Calcium    (Ca) 2.3 

Iron   and  Alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 2.0 

Chlorine  (Cl)   trace 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    5.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   6.9 

Silica  (SiO2)  17.9 

35.9 


Here  the  proportions  of  Magnesium  sulphate  and  of  iron 
to  the  whole  amount  of  solid  matter  are  relatively  very  large, 


WATERS  OF  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  117 

and  apparently  justify  the  claim  that  this  is  a  mineral  water. 

Prof.  J.  H.  Foster,  of  Tus'caloosa,  has  furnished  the  follow- 
ing notes  concerning  two  "blowing  wells"  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  county : 

The  first  of  these  wells'  is  on  the  old  E.  R.  King  place,  now 
owned  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Mize,  in  Fosters  settlement,  about  12  miles 
south  of  west  of  the  city.  The  well  is  a  bored  well,  8  inches  in 
diameter  and  90  feet  deep,  with  a  circular  plank  curbing  ex- 
tending about  3  feet  above  the  ground.  A  hinged  lid  of  board, 
about  10  inches  wide  and  12  inches  long,  fits  over  the  top  of 
the  curbing.  On  the  approach  of  a  storm  or  of  change  from 
fair  weather  to  foul,  a  strong  current  of  air  comes'  from  the 
well  sufficient  to  lift  the  free  end  of  the  lid  3  inches,  this  lifting 
of  the  lid  occurring  at  longer  or  shorter  intervals  according  to 
the  magnitude  of  the  barometric  change.  Sometimes  the  lid 
will  be  raised  and  dropped  with  great  rapidity  making  a  rat- 
tling noise  that  can  be  heard  at  a  distance.  From  the  depths 
of  the  well  come  sounds  as  of  a  cauldron  of  water  furiously 
boiling.  Under  ordinary  conditions  the  water  stands  about  3 
feet  deep  in  the  well,  but  on  the  approach  of  storms',  when  the 
water  is  disturbed  as  above  described,  the  bucket  frequently 
comes  up  only  half  full.  These  disturbances  in  the  well  usually 
occur  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours  before  a  predicted 
storm.  On  the  premises  of  Mr.  J.  N.  Robertson  in  Hickman, 
about  3  miles  west  of  Fosters  is'  another  well  which  exhibits 
similar  phenomena. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Northeast  of  the  city  of  Tuscaloosa  the  Cretaceous  beds 
occur  in  detached  masses  occupying  summits  only,  and  hence 
are  not  serviceable  for  artesian  systems'.  In  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  county,  however,  they  are  continuous,  and  because 
of  their  composition  (alternating  clays  and  sands)  and  of  their 
moderate  and  uniform  dip,  the  conditions  are  in  every  way  fav- 
orable to  artesian  wells.  The  fact  that  good  surface  water  can 
so  easily  be  had  from  the  Lafayette  beds  in  every  part  of  the 
county  has  made  recourse  to  artesian  wells  unnecessary,  except 
in  the  Second  Bottom  lands  of  the  river.  Here  are  the  earli- 
est artesian  wells,  and  indeed  the  only  ones,  except  those  near 
Tuscaloosa  which  have  been  sunk  into  the  strata  of  the  Coal 


118  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Measures,  as  already  described  (p.  97-99).  To  those  who  are 
compelled  to  live  in  the  lowlands  along  the  river,  artesian  water 
should  prove  a  boon  in  diminishing  the  sickness  which  seems 
to  follow  the  use  of  surface  water  in  the  river  bottoms.  The 
use  of  artesian  water  at  the  three  locks  next  below  Tuscaloosa 
is  said  to  have  effected  a  very  great  improvement  in  the  health 
of  the  workmen. 

All  the  artesian  wells  in  the  Coastal  Plain  part  of  this  county 
begin  and  end  in  the  Tuscaloosa  formation. 

Until  about  the  year  1900  the  only  artesian  well  in  the  county 
was  that  at  Willifords'  Landing,  on  the  river,  mentioned  below, 
but  it  has  since  been  found  that  good  artesian  wells  may  be 
had  in  all  the  lowlands  between  Saunder's  and  Foster's  ferries 
and  thence  on  both  sides  of  the  river  to  the  lower  border  of  the 
county.  Probably  the  impetus  to  this  artesion  boring  wras 
given  by  the  action  of  the  United  States  engineers  in  sinking 
wells'  at  the  lock  sites  below  the  county  line.  Gradually  bor- 
ings have  been  made  farther  and  farther  north,  as  success  was 
achieved. 

TUSCALOOSA    AND    VICINITY. 

The  following  records  show  the  present  status  of  the  sub- 
ject: 

S.  F.  Alston's  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 15,  Township  22,  Range  n  W. ;  bored  in  1902  by  Martin 
&  Morrison;  depth,  268  feet  (Alston),  234  feet  (Morrison)  ; 
original  volume,  75  to  100  gallons ;  ran  thus1  six  months  until 
Mr.  Foster's  well  (see  next  record),  a  half  mile  away,  was 
bored,  when  it  fell  off  gradually  to  its  present  volume,  3  gal- 
lons;  temperature  66  degrees;  water  rose  16  feet  above  the 
surface  and  overflowed  with  small  force; 

Record  of  S.  F.  Alston's  well,  Tuscaloosa. 


Feet. 

Clay,    etc : 0  —  6 

Dark  sand  6  —  05 

Blue  rock    50  —  236 

Sand,  water  bearing  236  —  268 

First  overflow  from  236  feet;  3 — inch  casing  down  to  blue  rock. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  119 

J.  Manly  Foster's  wells:  No.  1.  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 15,  Township  22,  Range  11  W..  half  a  mile  from  the  Alston  well; 
bored  in  1902  by  W.  V.  Morrison;  depth,  234  feet;  3-inch  casing;  flowed 
strong  stream  for  six  weeks,  then  fell  off  suddenly  to  present  volume  of 
2  1-2  gallons;  temperature,  66  degrees;  a  good  drinking  water;  notice- 
able improvement  in  the  health  of  those  using  it. 

Record  of  J.  Manly  Fosters  well  No.  1,  Tuscaloosa. 


Feet. 

Sand  and  gravel 0  —  30 

Blue    rock     30  —  80 

Sand  and  water  with  occasional  streaks  of  blue 

rock 80  —  234 


No.  2  and  3,  bored  by  Wyndham  in  the  fall  of  1904  on  Mr.  Foster's 
place  in  Section  22,  Township  22,  Range  11  W. ;  depth,  about  250  feet; 
both  wells  flow  good  streams  from  1  1-4-inch  pipe.  Nos.  4,  5,  and  6,  bored 
for  Mr.  Foster  by  Wyndham  in  the  spring  of  1905,  in  Sections  13  and  14, 
Township  22,  Range  11  W. ;  depth,  250-270  feet;  all  three  furnish  good 
flow  from  1  1-4-inch  pipe. 

Well  of  Will  Murphy  (colored),  in  the  E.  half  N.  W.  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 13,  Township  22,  Range  11  W.;  bored  in  March  ,1905,  by  Wyndham; 
depth,  about  280  feet;  weak  stream. 

Friedman  &  Loveman's  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  24,  Town- 
ship 22,  Range  11  W. ;  bored  by  W.  V.  Morrison  in  1902;  depth  320  feet; 
first  overflow  at  300  feet;  3-inch  casing;  original  volume  estimated  at  4 
gallons,  which  gradually  increased  to  present  volume,  24  gallons;  tempe- 
rature, 66  degrees. 

Record  of  Friedman  &  Lovemaris  well. 


Feet. 

Soil  and  clay   0  —  30 

Blue  rock    30  —  150 

Sand,  with  thin  layers  of  hard  rock  150  —  300 

Hard  rock  . .  . .  .300  —  320 


A  peculiar  circumstance  is  related  by  Mr.  Morrison  con- 
cerning this  well ;  the  water  first  rose  to  — 5  feet.  Three  bar- 
rels of  water  were  then  poured  into  the  pipe,  when  the  water 
began  to  flow  and  has  since  continued  to  flow  without  inter- 
ruption. 

Henry  A.  Jones's  wells,  bored  by  Martin  and  Morrison  in  1902:  No.  1, 
on  Slade  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township 
22,  Range  10  W. ;  depth,  160  feet;  principal  supply  of  water  at  150  feet; 


120  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

stopped  in  hard  rock;  water  stands  at  —7  feet  and  pump  is  used.     No.  2, 
about  100  yards  from  No.  1;  record  practically  the  same. 

Quarles  well,  at  Foster's  Ferry  bridge;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1902; 
depth,  306  feet;  3-inch  casing;  overflow  at  260  feet,  weak;  since  the  first 
few  days  the  flow  has  remained  constant  at  6  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 67  degrees. 

Record  of  Quarles  well,  Foster's  Ferry. 


Feet. 

Soil  and  clay   0  —  30 

Blue  rock   30  —  150 

Sand  and  water  with  an  occasional  strata  of 

blue    rock    .  . .  .150  —  306 


BIGHT   BANK    OF   RIVER. 

Below  the  above  localities,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river, 
there  are  several  wells  lately  bored,  records  of  which  have  b^en 
secured. 

Henry  A.  Jones's  wells,  in  Sections  5-6.  Township  24,  Range  53;  four 
wells  bored  by  W.  V.  Morrison  in  1902,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  apart, 
all  flowing,  and  about  the  same  depth,  166  feet  (Morrison);  No.  1,  3-inch 
casing;  flows  70  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  1-2  degrees.  No.  2, 
3-inch  casing;  first  overflow  at  103  feet;  flows,  90  to  100  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature  66  degrees.  No.  3,  4  1-2-inch  casing;  first  overflow  at  136  feet; 
present  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature  64  degrees.  No.  4, 
3-inch  casing;  first  overflow  at  136  feet;  present  volume  (estimated),  60 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  1-2  degrees. 

Guy  Foster's  well,  in  Section  7  or  8,  Township  24,  Range  5  E.;  bored 
by  Morrison  in  1902;  depth,  170  feet;  equally  strong  flow  at  162  feet;  first 
overflow  at  130  feet;  present  volume,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
66  degrees.  Mr.  Foster  thinks  that  heavy  rains  50  miles  north  are  fol- 
lowed in  three  days  by  an  increased  volume;  otherwise  the  flow  is  con- 
stant. Mr.  Morrison  thinks  that  all  the  wells  in  this  neighborhood  would 
rise  20  feet  above  the  surface. 

Well  of  Charles  Verner  and  Henry  King,  in  fraction  A,  Section  13, 
Township  24,  Range  4  E. ;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1902;  3-inch  casing;  depth, 
200  feet;  first  overflow  at  164  feet,  somewhat  weaker  than  at  200  feet; 
practically  constant  volume,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  de- 
grees. 

Record  of  Verner  and  King  well,  near  Tuscaloosa. 


Feet. 

Soil,  clay   0  —  30 

Blue  rock 30  —  150 

Sand    with     occasional    thin    strata    of     blue 

rock   .  ...150  —  200 


WATERS  Of  THK   CRETACEOUS.  121 

Henry  King's  well,  1  mile  northwest  of  the  old  well  at  King's  Ferry; 
bored  by  W.  M.  Martin  in  1904;  depth,  198  feet;  57  feet  of  3-inch  casing;  es- 
timated flow,  40  gallons  per  minute. 

HULLS. 

Y.  T.  Auxford's  wells.  Hulls  station,  in  Section  17,  Township  24,  Range 
5  E. ;  bored  by  Morrison:  No.  1,  depth,  234  feet;  overflowed  at  210  feet; 
3-inch  casing;  constant  volume,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67 
degrees. 

Record  of  Auxford  well  No.  1,  Hulls. 


Feet. 

Soil  and  clay   0  —  43 

Blue    rock     43  —  210 

Sand   and   water    .,  ...210  —  234 


The  water  itom  this  well  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges, 
with  result?  as  shown  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Auxford  well  No.  1,  Hulls. 


Potassium    (K) 

Parts    per 

2  4 

million. 

Sodium    (Na)    
Magnesium  (Mg)  

4.9 
8.4 

Calcium    (Ca) 

36  3 

Iron   and   Alumina   (Fe2O3,AlyO3)    
Chlorine    (Cl) 

2.5 

7  0 

Sulphuric  acid  (SC^t) 

5  1 

/ 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  

148.9 

- 

Silica  (SiOa) 

17  8 

233.3 


No.  2,  1  mile  southwest  of  Hulls;  depth  234  feet;  overflow  at  200  feet: 
rises  4  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  66  degrees;  volume  approx- 
imately constant.  No.  3,  three-fourth  mile  southwest  of  Hulls;  depth,  290 
feet;  3-inch  casing;  overflow  at  260  feet;  constant  volume,  1  gallon;  tem- 
perature 66  degrees. 

Record  of  Auxford  well  No.  3,  Hulls. 


Feet. 

Soil,    clay    0  —  30 

Pink  sandstone  30  —  200 

Sand,  with  thin  layers  of  blue  rock 200  —  290 


122  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

WILLIFORDS. 

On  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  below  Thomas  Allen's  and 
almost  on  the  lower  border  of  the  county,  is  the  oldest  arte- 
sian well  in  the  county,  at  Willifords  Landing,  Plate  XIV. 
This  well  is  on  the  second  terrace  of  the  river  and  is  said  to 
be  400  feet  deep.  The  water  overflows  in  a  stream  about  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  is  quite  free  from  dissolved  mineral  mat- 
ter. No  record  can  now  be  obtained  of  this  well,  which  was 
bored  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 

Analysis  of  the  water  by  Mr.  Hodges  shows  the  following 
composition : 

Analysis  of  water  from  ivell  at  Williford's  Landing. 


Parts    per   million. 

Potassium   (K)    ..  11.6 

Sodium  (Na)   17.4 

Magnesium  (Mg)   5.3 

Calcium   (Ca)    23.4 

Iron   and  Alumina   (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 2.5 

Chlorine   (Cl)    17.4 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  trace 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   130.0 

Silica   (SiO2)    13.1 

220.7 


BIBB  COUNTY. 

Some  details'  concerning  the  surface  and  mineral  waters  of 
Bibb  County  have  been  given  above  (p.  83)  in  the  section 
on  the  Coosa  Valley  Region,  Appalachian  valleys.  The  south- 
ern and  southwestern  parts  of  the  county  are  occupied  by  the 
Tuscaloosa  sands  and  clays  with  their  capping  of  Lafayette, 
and  the  underground  water  conditions  are  entirely  similar  to 
those  in  the  corresponding  parts  of  Tus'caloosa  County.  No 
well  records  from  Bibb  are  available,  but  it  may  be  asserted 
that  the  artesian  prospects  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  county  are 
favorable.  As  in  some  other  counties,  the  abundance  and 
good  quality  of  the  surface  water  afforded  by  the  open  wells 
and  springs  have  rendered  recours'e  to  artesian  borings  unnec- 
essary. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  123 

C 'HILT 'ON  COUNTY. 

In  this  county  the  general  geological  conditions  are  quite 
similar  to  those  in  Bibb  County,  and  there  should  be  no  dif- 
ficulty in  obtaining  artesian  water  in  the  southwestern  part, 
where  the  surface  is  occupied  by  the  Tuscaloosa  formation 
with  its  Lafayette  capping.  As'  shallow  wells,  however,  gen- 
erally furnish  ample  supplies  of  good  water,  artesian  borings 
have  not  been  made  in  many  places,  and  there  are  few  records.* 

PIC  KENS  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATUEES. 

The  underlying  Cretaceous  formations  of  Pickens  County 
are  the  Tuscaloosa,  the  Eutaw,  and  the  Selma  chalk.  The 
Tuscaloosa  occupies  the  northeastern  and  the  Eutaw  the  South- 
western half  of  that  part  of  the  county  lying  east  of  Tombigbee 
River,  while  the  Selma  chalk  occupies  the  small  area  west  of 
the  river,  together  with  a  few  scattering  tracts  along  the  river 
on  the  eastern  side. 

In  the  Tuscaloosa-Eutaw  territory  east  of  the  river  the 
county  is  somewhat  broken  because  of  the  incoherent  character 
of  the  sands  and  clays  which  make  up  these  formations. 
Where  the  watercourses  are  not  too  close  together,  however, 
the  divides  between  them  are  level  plateaus  with  the  Lafayette 
red-loam  soils,  underlain  by  pebbles,  which  once  capped  the 
Cretaceous  over  the  entire  area. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

In  the  relatively  small  area  west  of  the  river,  which  is'  occu- 
pied by  the  Selma  chalk,  the  Lafayette  mantle  is  in  great  part 
wanting  and  the  soils  are  composed  of  the  residual  matter  from 
the  decomposition  of  the  limestone.  In  this  section  open  wells 
and  surface  springs  are  not  to  be  counted  on,  because  of  the 
underlying  chalk,  but  in  the  rest  of  the  county  the  s'urface  ma- 
terials afford  conditions  for  a  fairly  adequate  supply  of  water 


*See,  however,  notice  of  bored  wells  near  Thorsby — under  Appa- 
lachian Division — Talladega  Mountain  section,  p.  67. 


124  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

for  springs  and  wells,  though  these  are  liable  to  be  much  re- 
duced or  to  go  dry  in  the  summer.  On  Coal  Fire  Creek  are  many 
chalybeate  springs  and  on  Lubbub  Creek  near  Reform  is  a 
noted  bold  spring  which  is  much  visited  for  health  and  recre- 
ation. Near  the  mouth  of  Lubbub  Creek  and  in  the  old  town 
of  Vienna  also  are  bold  springs'  of  pure,  cold  water. 

ARTESIAN   PROSPECTS. 

In  the  Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw  formations  underlying  Pick- 
ens  County  the  alternations  of  sands  and  clays  and  their  uni- 
form gentle  (southwestward)  dip  afford  favorable  conditions 
for  artesian  systems,  borings'  for  water  are  usually  successful. 
The  oldest  of  these  artesian  borings  were  made  in  the  prairie 
or  chalk  region,  or  along  its  eastern  border,  but  recently  a  few 
wells  have  been  put  down  in  the  territory  of  the  older  Creta- 
ceous formations,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  here  a  good 
water  supply  can  generally  be  had  from  shallow  wells  and 
springs. 


Wells  in  the  Eutaw  Formation. 

A  number  of  artesian  wells  have  been  bored  within  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Eutaw,  chiefly  in  the  vicinity  of  Bridgeville,  on 
Lubbub  Creek,  along  Sipsey  River,  and  near  Ringos  Bluff  and 
Pickensville.  Prof.  Alexander  Winchell  has  given  an  account 
of  some  of  these  wells  in  an  article  in  the  Proceedings  of  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  1856. 
The  average  depth  of  the  wells  mentioned  in  this  article  is  180 
feet,  which  would  reach  the  base  of  the  Eutaw  or  the  top  of 
the  Tus'caloosa  as  water-bearing  sands.  As  these  wells  were 
mostly  bored  before  the  war,  it  is  impossible  at  this  time  to  get 
any  records  of  the  strata  passed  through  and  but  few  of  the 
depth  of  the  borings.  Notes  have  been  collected  of  as  many 
as  could  be  heard  of,  and  the  temperatures  together  with  the 
volume  of  water  afforded  by  those  visited,  are  given  below. 

The  wells  near  the  contact  of  the  Eutaw  with  the  Selma  chalk 
would  have  an  estimated  depth  of  300  feet,  more  or  less,  to 
the  "fourth  water"  of  the  borers,  while  those  near  the  contact 
of  the  Eutaw  with  the  Tuscaloosa  should  be  shallower  in  pro- 


WATERS  OF  THE:  CRETACEOUS.  125 

portion  to  the  nearness  to  the  latter.  Near  this  line,  however, 
it  is  probable  that  water  is  obtained  from  the  underlying  Tus- 
caloosa  sands. 

SIPSEY   RIVER. 

Well  on  old  Doctor  Hinton  Place,  7  or  8  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  old 
well;  flow  (estimated),  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees. 

Sipsey  Mill  well,  8  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  owned  by  John  Childs; 
flow  (estimated),  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees. 

Wells  on  Sam  Wilder  place;  No.  1,  9  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  flows 
4  feet  above  surface;  yield,  33  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees. 
No.  2,  one  quarter  mile  northeast  of  old  Sipsey  Mill  and  8  1-2  miles  north- 
east of  Vienna;  flows  3  feet  above  surface;  yield,  20  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  65  degrees. 

LUBBUB  CREEK. 

From  the  territory  near  the  mouth  of  Lubbub  Creek  and 
for  some  distance  upstream,  and  in  the  low  ground  of  Tombig- 
bee  River  up  to  Ringos  Bluff,  the  following  are  reported : 

Old  Bridge ville  well,  on  Lubbub  Creek,  5  1-2  miles  from  Vienna;  flows 
1  foot  above  surface,  decreasing;  i.  e.  wooden  pipe  decayed;  estimated 
yield,  25  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

ALICEVILLE    AND     VICINITY. 

At  Aliceville,  north  of  Bridgeville,  a  well  now  owned  by  John  Coch- 
rane,  has  lately  been  bored  by  Mr.  McGracken;  first  water  at  125  feet; 
stand  —19  feet;  second  water  at  180  feet;  stand  —16  feet.  The  record 
down  to  the  depth  of  309  feet  is  as  follows: 

Record  of  Cochrane  well,  Aliceville. 


Feet. 

Soil  and  loose  materials   0  —  56 

Blue   rock    56  —  125 

Sand,    water    125  —  130 

Blue  rock    130  —  175 

Hard    sand    175  —  200 

Blue  rock   200  —  240 

Sand,    wrter 240  —  250 

Blue   rock    250  —  285 

Sand     285  -288 

Blue  rock    288  —  305 

White  clay  and  black  sand   305  —  309 


Wells  on  Mrs.  M.  B.  Mayhew's  place,  originally  Cunningham  place: 
1  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Aliceville;  flows  2  feet  above  surface;  yield,  8 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 


126  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Aaron  Harris's  well,  2  miles  southwest  of  Aliceville;  flows  4  feet  above 
surface;  yield,  60  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  McCaa  place,  3  miles  southwest  of  Aliceville;  estimated  flow, 
50  gallons  per  minute,  decreasing,  in  decay. 

Well  on  Spruille  place,  owned  by  L.  E.  McKinstry,  4  miles  southwest  of 
Aliceville;  in  decay,  flow  not  estimated;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  McKinney  place,  owned  by  Mrs.  L.  E.  McKinstry,  4  1-2  miles 
southwest  of  Aliceville;  flows  3  feet  above  surface;  estimated  yield,  10 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Mrs.  E.  A.  McCaa's  place,  5  miles  southwest  of  Aliceville; 
flows  1  foot  above  surface;  estimated  yield  10  gallons  per  minute;  tempe- 
ture,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Billy  McCaa  place,  owned  by  Gardiner  &  Somerville;  flows  2 
feet  above  surface;  estimated  yield  25  to  30  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 66  degrees. 

NEAR    TOMBIGBEE    KIVER. 

Gardiner  &  Somerville  well,  Newport  Landing,  Tombigbee  River;  flows 
4  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  67  degrees. 

Well  on  Nolen  place,  4  or  5  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  flow  12  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Dr.  Carpenter's  place,  4  or  5  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  old 
well;  flow  8  gallons  per  minute,  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Dr.  Carpenter's  place  at  ferry;  old  well;  yield,  4  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Old  well  near  Baptist  Church,  5  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  yield,  1  1-2 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  1-2  degrees. 

Well  on  Bonner  place,  owned  by  Mr.  Hagaman,  5  1-2  miles  north  of 
Vienna;  bored  about  1885;  flows  1  foot  above  surface;  yield  5  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  65  degrees. 

Well  on  Gibson  place,  owned  by  Mrs.  Chapman,  G  miles  north  of  Vi- 
enna; estimated  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  1-2  degrees. 

Well  on  Mayhew  place,  owned  by  E.  Stewart,  7  miles  north  of  Vienna; 
yield  65  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  64  1-2  degrees. 

Wells  on  Gardiner  place,  7  1-2  miles  north  of  Vienna:  No  1,  deepened 
in  1860  to  285  feet;  first  water  at  225  feet,  overflowing;  second  water  at 
285  feet,  rises  25  feet  above  surface;  estimated  volume,  100  to  200  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees.  There  are  two  other  large  wells  at 
this  place  which  were  once  used  to  run  a  mill:  No.  2  has  an  estimated  flow 
of  125  gallons  per  minute;  No.  3,  is  300  feet  deep. 

G.  T.  Heard's  wells:  No.  1,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 20,  Township  22,  Range  16  W. ;  flows  3  feet  above  surface;  yield,  30 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature  66  degrees.  No.  2,  8  miles  west  of  Alice- 
ville and  1  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Ringos  Bluff,  in  fractional  S.  E.  quarter 
Section  14,  Township  22,  Range  17  W. ;  on  the  old  Stapp  place;  estimated 
flow,  50  gallons  per  minute,  decreasing,  in  decay;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Caraway  place,  9  miles  west  of  Aliceville;  flows  4  feet  above 
surface;  estimated  yield,  60  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  degrees. 

Bradford  well,  owned  by  Abe  Gray,  8  miles  east  of  Ringos  Bluff;  flows 
good  strong  stream;  no  details  obtained. 

At  Ringos  Bluff  there  are  5  old  wells,  of  which  some  records  of  4 
follow:  No.  1,  at  warehouse  at  bluff;  flows  2  feet  above  surface;  yield,  12 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees.  No.  2,  30  yards  from  No. 
1;  estimated  flow  40  gallons  per  minute,  decreasing,  piping  in  decay; 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  127 

temperature,  66  degrees.  No. '3,  100  yards  from  No.  1;  old  wooden  piping 
decayed  to  ground,  forming  a  kind  of  spring;  estimated  yield  5  gallons 
a  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees.  No.  4,  200  yards  east  of  No.  1; 
flows  2  feet*  above  surface;  estimated  yield,  4  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 65  degrees. 

PICKENSVILLE  AND   VICINITY. 

Henry  Ball's  wells:  No  1,  5  miles  a  little  west  of  south  of  Pickensville, 
in  Section  12,  Township  22,  Range  17  W.;  no  details;  flows  2  feet  above 
surface;  yield,  6  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  1-2  degrees. 

Mrs.  E.  G.  Hood's  well,  3  miles  south  of  Pickensville;  flows  3  feet  above 
surface;  estimated  yield,  7  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees. 

W.  R.  Rogers's  well,  3  miles  south  of  Pickensville,  near  Jackson 
Ferry;  new  well,  bored  by  Talley  &  Cunningham  in  1902;  depth,  236  feet; 
3-inch  casing,  64  feet;  flows  2  feet  above  surface;  yield  5  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  63  degrees. 

Record  of  W.  R.  Rogers'  well. 


Feet. 

Sand,  gravel,  etc 0  —  36 

Blue  rock    36  —  42 

Blue  mud  42  —  236 


Mrs.  W.  A.  Peterson's  well,  2  miles  west  of  south  of  Pickensville;  old 
well;  flows  2  feet  above  surface;  yield,  25  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 65  degrees. 

Well  on  old  Walker  place,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  south  of  Pickens- 
ville; yield,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

W.  R.  Rogers's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  half  a  mile  west  of  Pickensville; 
yield,  75  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65  degrees.  No.  2,  three  quar- 
ters of  a  mile  west  of  Pickensville;  flow,  25  gallons  per  minute,  wooden 
.pipe  in  decay;  temperature,  64  1-2  degrees.  No.  3,  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  west  of  Pickensville;  flow  (estimated),  50  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 64  1-2  degrees. 

J.  F.  Wilkins's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  1  1-4  miles  east  of  Pickensville,  on 
Bonner's  Mill  road  on  Big  Creek;  No.  2,  5  miles  west  of  north  of  Pick- 
ensville; both  flowing;  no  details. 

H.  L.  Stone's  well,  on  Nance  place,  2  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Pickensville, 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  east  of  house;  old  well;  no  record. 

J.  E.  Stewart's  wells:  No.  1,  old  well,  2.1-2  miles  north  of  Pickensville; 
flowing.  No.  2,  new  well,  2  1-2  miles  northwest  of  Pickensville;  bored  by 
Talley  &  Cunningham;  depth,  260  feet;  3-inch  casing,  22  feet;  flows  2  1-2  feet 
above  surface;  yield,  8  gallons  per  minute;  somewhat  stronger  than  the 
new  well  of  W.  R.  Rogers  above  mentioned. 

Well  on  Lee  place,  in  Lees  Bend,  6  miles  northwest  of  Pickensville; 
owned  by  J.  E.  Stewart,  1  mile  -northwest  of  his  well  No.  2  above  men- 
tioned; flowing:  not  visited. 


128  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Wells  in  the  Selma  Chalk. 

VIENNA  AND   VICINITY. 

The  "rotten  limestone"  or  Selma  chalk  makes  the  surface 
only  in  that  part  of  the  county  west  of  the  Tombigbee,  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  tract  near  the  mouth  of  Sipsey  River,  about 
the  town  of  Vienna.  Most  of -the  wells  in  this  section,  as  in 
the  territory  of  the  Eutaw  formation,  were  bored  many  years 
ago,  before  the  civil  war,  and  the  records  have  been  lost.  In 
the  article  above  referred  to  Professor  Winchell,  on  the  au- 
thority of  Mr.  James  Strait,  a  well  borer,  formerly  of  Greene 
County,  gives  the  depths  of  the  artesian  wells  at  and  near 
Vienna  as  from  350  to  400  feet.  This  depth  would  reach  the 
"fourth  water"  of  Mr.  Hawk  (see  p.  113),  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  majority  of  the  flowing  wells  of  the  prairie  region  are 
supplied  by  these  strata  near  the  base  of  the  Eutaw  formation. 

The  following  partial  records'  of  some  of  the  wells  have  been 
obtained : 

W.  B.  Peebles  wells,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  34, 
Township  24,  Range  2  W. :  No.  1,  depth,  about  350  feet;  flow,  3  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees.  No.  2,  yield,  1  1-2  gallons  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  66  degrees.  No.  3,  old  well;  flows  2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66  degrees.  No.  4,  bored  abouU  1885;  depth  about  380  feet; 
flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  degrees 

Mrs.  Sallie  Turnipseed's  well,  locality  same  as  above;  old  well,  in  Vien- 
na; no  record. 

Well  on  old  Wyndham  place,  one  mile  northeast  of  Vienna,  owned  by 
W.  B.  Peebles;  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  degrees. 

Gold  Dust  farm  well,  1  or  2  miles  northeast  of  Vienna,  owned  by  Mr. 
Hagaman,  of  Vienna;  flow,  (estimated),  5  gallons  per  minute,  piping  in  de- 
cay, so  that  it  forms  a  kind  of  spring. 

Well  on  Wilder  place;  1  or  2  miles  northeast  of  Vienna;  old  well;  flows 
5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Ferguson  place,  near  Vienna;  old  well;  flow,  half  a  gallon  per 
minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Cherry  place,  near  Vienna;  old  well;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Manning  place,  near  Vienna,  owned  by  Mr.  Hagaman;  flow, 
1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Well  on  Wilder  place,  owned  by  W.  B.  Peebles;  piping  in  decay,  no 
record. 

Wells  on  Richardson  place,  2  or  3  miles  northeast  of  Vienna,  owned  by 
Mr.  Hagaman;  bored  long  before  the  war  by  Mr.  Garrow,  to  furnish 
water  for  a  mill;  all  close  together:  No.  1,  flows  from  a  6-inch  pipe  at 
the  level  of  the  ground;  estimated  flow,  50  to  75  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 66  degrees.  No.  2,  estimated  flow,  10  to  15  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature  66  1-2  degrees.  No.  3,  water  flows  from  a  6-inch  pipe  at  the 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  129 

bottom  of  a  gulch,  10  feet  below  the  surface;  estimated  flow,  50  to  75 
gallons  per  minute.  No.  4,  water  flows  from  an  8-inch  pipe  (cypress  log), 
in  gulch  8  feet  below  surface  of  ground;  estimated  flow,  75  to  100  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature  66  degrees.  No.  5,  flows  at  surface;  estimated 
yield,  6  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees. 

Wells  on  Barnes  place,  2  or  3  miles  northeast  of  Vienna,  owned  by 
Peebles  &  Hagaman.  One  well  flows  3  feet  above  the  surface;  estimated 
yield,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66  degrees.  Two  other  wells  on 
this  place  have  about  the  same  flow  and  temperature. 

Hagaman  wells,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  N.  E.  quarter  Section  27, 
Township  24,  Range  2  W.:  No.  1  flows  12  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture 66  degrees.  No.  2,  flows  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66  de- 
grees. 

STONE    AND    VICINITY. 

West  of  Tombigbee  river,  at  Stone  and  vicinity  and  farther 
west,  there  are  many  old  wells  of  which  the  records  are  not  now 
obtainable,  but  concerning  which  a  few  notes  may  be  present- 
ed, and  several  new  wells  have  been  bored  which  supply  addi- 
tional needed  information. 

Public  well,  Stone,  old  well;  water  formerly  overflowed  but  now  stands 
at  —2  feet;  estimated  volume,  3  or  4  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
68  degrees. 

Dr.  B.  T.  Jones's  well,  200  yards  east  of  post-office  in  Stone;  new  well, 
bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1902;  depth  400  feet;  3  1-2-inch  casing,  22  feet; 
2-inch  casing,  300  feet;  first  water  at  150  feet;  second  water  at  200  feet; 
third  water  at  400  feet;  water  rises  4  feet  above  surface;  yields,  2  1-2 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  degrees.  The  record  is  as  follows: 
Soil,  clay,  etc.,  0  —  22  feet;  blue  rock,  22  —  100  feet;  sand  and  gravel, 
with  occasional  rock,  100  to  400  feet. 

Dr.  T.  H.  G.  Cook's  well,  Stone;  new  well;  bored  in  1902  by  C.  T. 
White;  depth,  650  feet;  2-inch  casing,  600  feet;  first  water  at  250  feet, 
stand  —7  feet;  second  water  at  300  feet,  stand  —7  feet;  third  water  at 
560  feet,  rising  to  surface;  excavated  3  feet  to  get  overflow. 

Walter  Wyndham's  wells,  a  half  mile  west  of  Stone:  No.  1,  flows  1  1-2 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  degrees.  No.  2,  formerly  overflowed; 
stand  now  —10  feet;  has  been  sounded  to  the  depth  of  300  feet. 

R.  C.  Long's  well,  three  quarters  mile  east  of  Stone,  at  ferry;  flows 
3  feet  above  surface;  yield,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67  de- 
grees. 

J.  B.  Somerville's  well,  1  1-2  miles  east  of  Stone;  new  well;  bored  by 
White  in  1902;  depth,  500  feet;  4-inch  and  2-inch  casing  to  bottom;  first 
water  at  400  feet;  formerly  overflowed,  but  water  stands  now  just  at 
surface.  On  the  same  place  are  several  old  wells,  most  of  them  no  lon- 
ger flowing:  No.  1,  150  yards  south  of  house;  overflows  in  the  winter 
only.  No.  2,  formerly  overflowed;  water  stands  now  at  —4  feet.  No.  3, 
one  mile  east  of  house;  flows  4  feet  above  surface,  a  good  stream. 

On  the  Winston  Jones  and  Goldsby  places,  3  miles  west  of  Stone,   are 
several  old  flowing  wells. 
9 


130  DETAILS  I       COASTAL   PLAIN   DIVISION. 

SHERMAN,*    DANCY   AND   VICINITY. 

In  the  lower  edge  of  Pickens  County,  about  Sherman  and 
Dancy  are  several  wells  of  which  the  following  records  are 
available : 

T.  Moore's  well,  1  mile  south  of  Sherman,  in  Section  14,  Township  23, 
Range  3  W. ;  old  well;  bored  about  1870  by  Joe  Ladd  (colored);  depth,  600 
feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  6  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72 
degrees. 

Will  Oliver's  well,  1  mile  west  of  Sherman;  old  well;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Well  of  Mrs.  Adams,  2  miles  west  of  Sherman;  bored  about  1870  by 
Mi.  Ladd;  depth,  602  feet;  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72  1-2°. 

W.  E.  Whittens  well,  3  miles  west  of  Sherman;  bored  by  Bicksler  in 
1900  or  1901;  depth,  725  feet;  temperature,  71°. 

Wells  of  Mrs.  Peter  Wier,  Sr.,  3  miles  west  of  Sherman;  three  old  wells, 
bored  about  1860.  One  of  these  yields  2  1-2  gallons  per  minute,  tempera- 
ture, 71°.  The  other  two  are  now  in  decay. 

Well  on  Kin^  place,  3  3-4  miles  west  of  Sherman;  very  old,  and  with 
very  small  stream;  no  record. 

T.  A.  Baker's  wells,  Dancy;  No.  1,  bored  by  White  in  1899;  depth,  700  feet; 
not  flowing;  first  water  at  450  feet;  second  water,  at  600  feet,  stand  -8 
feet;  third  water  at  700  feet,  stand  -22  feet.  Record:  Soil,  0-15  feet;  blue 
rock,  15-280  feet;  quicksand,  280-320  feet;  sand  and  thin  rock,  320-600  feet. 
No.  2,  bored  by  Ladd;  depth,  450  feet;  water  stands  at  -10  feet;  steam 
pumping  for  twenty- four  hours  does  not  lower  level.  No.  3,  abandoned; 
record  same  as  No.  2. 

J.  H.  McDonald's  well,  2  1-2  miles  north  of  Dancy;  bored  by  White  in 
June,  1903;  depth,  350  feet;  diameter,  3  1-2  inches;  water  stands  at  -90 
feet;  pumped.  The  ground  level  here  is  estimated  to  be  75  feet  above 
Dancy.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-300  feet;  sand  and  rock, 
300-350  feet. 

W.  D.  King's  well,  2  miles  west  of  Dancy;  bored  by  Bicksler  in  1901; 
depth,  903  feet;  cased  797  feet;  first  overflow  at  903  feet;  3  1-2  gallons  per 
minute;  stand  -20  feet.  Record:  Soil  0-21  feet;  blue  rock,  21-361  feet;  sand 
and  rock,  361-800  feet;  hard  rock,  800-903  feet. 


*Sherman  is  near  the  line  of  Pickens  County  but  is  in  reality  in 
Sumter  county.  The  Moore,  Oliver  and  Weir  wells  are  in  Sumter 
county;  the  others  mentioned  are  in  Pickens. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  131 

SUMTER    COUNTY. 

SURFACE IEATUKES. 

The  dividing  line  between  the  Cr.etaceous  and  Tertiary  beds 
in  Sumter  County  pass'es  in  a  northwest-southeast  direction 
through  Livingston,  the  county  seat.  The  Cretaceous  strata 
are  for  the  most  part  Selma  chalk,  with  a  narrow  belt  of  the 
Ripley  formation  along  the  southern  border.  Southwest  of  the 
Cretaceous  beds  are  the  Tertiary  strata  of  the  Midway  and 
Black  Bluff,  or  Sucarnochee  (post-oak  Flatwoods)  formations, 
extending  as  far  as  York  station,  beyond  which  the  other  beds' 
of  the  lower  Tertiary  make  the  surface  of  the  county  to  its 
southwestern  limit. 

Topographically,  that  part  of  the  county  occupied  by  the 
Cretaceous  strata  is  in  general  gently  rolling  rather  than  hilly ; 
but  through  Sumterville  and  on  to  a  little  west  of  Epes  runs  a 
prominent  ridge  which  owes  its  existence  to  a  slight  difference 
in  the  quality  of  the  limestone  rock.  The  town  of  Sumterville 
is  situated  on  this  ridge,  and  from  its  summit  one  may  overlook 
the  country  from  Tombigbee  River  on  the  one  side  to  the  Miss- 
issippi line  and  beyond  on  the  other.  This  ridge  and  the  de- 
pression of  the  Flatwoods  are  the  two  most  pronounced  topo- 
graphic features  of  the  county.  Another  prominent  ridge, 
based  on  what  is1  commonly  known  as  "horse-bone  rock",  passes 
northwestward  through  Warsaw  and  Sherman,  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  the  county.  Between  this  ridge  and  that'  on 
which  Sumterville  stands  the  limestone  is  quite  pure  and  uni- 
form in  quality,  and  makes  the  most  fertile  and  attractive  of 
the  farming  lands.  In  this  belt  are  found  most  of  the  artesian 
wells  of  the  county,  since  the  Sumterville  ridge  is  in  general 
too  high  for  flowing  wells',  and  south  and  west  of  it  the  wells 
would  as  a  rule  be  too  deep  for  economy. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 
Springs  in  the  Selma  Chalk. 

NEAR    EPES. 

As  may  be  inferred  there  is  a  general  scarcity  of  surface, 
springs  in  the  chalk  region  of  Sumter  County,  but  there  is  one 
never  failing  spring  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  S.  W.  quar- 


132  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ter  S.  E.  quarter,  Section  6,  Township  19,  Range  I W. ;  about 
7  miles  northeast  of  Livingston,  3  miles  southeast  of  Epes,  and 
2.  miles  from  Tombigbee  River,  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Har- 
den L.  Jones,  of  Livingston.  The  water  oozes  from  a  fissure 
in  the  chalk  rock,  here  slightly  fossiliferous,  and  collects  in  a 
shallow  pool.  As  it  was'  thought  to  have  medicinal  properties, 
it  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges,  with  the  result  given 
below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  H.  L.  Jones's  spring,  near  Epes. 


Parts    per   million. 

Potassium   (K) 14.6 

Sodium     (Na)     374.2 

Magnesium     (Mg)     277.7 

Calcium    (Ca)     617.7 

Iron     (Fe)     trace 

Chlorine    (Cl)    , 665.5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    2089.0 

Carbonic  acid  CHCO3)   453.8 

Silica   (SiO«)    14.5 


4507.0 


Springs  in  the  Tertiary  Formations. 

In  the  Tertiary  formations  of  Sumter  County  there  is  gen- 
erally no  lack  of  fairly  good  surface  waters,  except  in  the  belt 
of  post-oak  Flatwoods,  underlain  by  the  black  Sucarnochee 
clays  which  weather  to  a  reddish  color.  This  whole  belt  is  only 
slightly  elevated  above  the  general  drainage  plain,  and  is  com- 
paratively level,  as  the  name  indicates.  After  rains  the  water 
stands  in  all  the  slight  depressions,  or  runs  off  into  streams, 
and  very  little  of  it  soaks  into  the  clay.  As  a  consequence,  no 
supply  of  surface  waters  for  wells  can  be  depended  on.  Cis- 
terns dug  into  the  solid  clay  and  filled  with  rain  water  from 
the  house  tops  supply  domestic  needs',  and  shallow  ponds  are 
utilized  for  cattle. 

In  some  parts  of  this  region  shallow  wells  find  a  meagre  sup- 
ply of  water  in  the  clay,  but  it  is'  apt  to  be  highly  impregnated 
with  salts  of  various  kinds  and  is  unsuitable  for  drinking  ex- 
cept by  those  accustomed  to  it. 


UNIVERSITY 


WATERS  OE  THE  CRETACEOUS.  133 

YORK  AND  VICINITY. 

On  the  plantation  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Altman,  about  I  1-2  miles 
south  of  York  on  the  Butler  road  is  a  -well  the  water  of  which 
is  used  by  the  negroes  on-  the  place,  who  claim  to  be  fond  of  it, 
though  they  say  they  cannot  drink  much  of  it  because  of  itsi 
weakening  effect,  due  no  doubt  to  the  Epsom  salts  with  which 
it  is  strongly  impregnated.  An  analysis  of  this  water  by  Mr. 
Hodges  shows  the  following  composition  : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Altman  well,  near  York. 


Parts   per    million. 


Potassium    (K)    37.3 

Sodium     (Na)     705.1 

Magnesium     (Mg)     726A 

Calcium     (Ca)     501.3 

Iron   and  alumina   (Fe2OS(   A12O3)    16.9 

Chlorine    (Cl)    461.2 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    4636.2 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3)    404.5 

Silica  (SiO2)   75  8 


7564.4 


Two,  and  perhaps  more,  wells  in  York  have  water  somewhat 
similar  in  composition,  though  not  so  strongly  saturated,  as 
may  be  seen  from  the  analysis  given  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  C.  B.  Mill's  well,  York. 


Parts    per   million. 

Potassium    (K)     61.9 

Sodium    (Na)     359.8 

Lithium    (Li)     trace 

Magnesium    (Mg)    542.4 

Calcium    (Ca)     530.3 

Iron  and  alumina   (Fe2Os,   Al2Os)    17.0 

Chlorine   (Cl)    460.8 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    3553.4 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3)    80.3 

Silica    (SiOa)     55.0 


5660.9 


134  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Dr.  R.  H.  Hale's  well,  York. 


Parts    per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    14.1 

Sodium    (Na)    379.1 


Magnesium     (Mg)     ... 

Calcium    (Ca)    

Iron     (Fe)     

Chlorine   (Cl)    

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4) 


258.6 
315.3 
86.6 
354.5 

2283.3 


Silica    (SiO2)     92.4 

3783.9 


At  Curl  station  on  the  Southern  Railway,  a  short  distance 
•east  of  York,  a  well  has  been  s'unk  in  the  Flatwoods  clays,  and 
the  water  has  a  composition  similar  to  the  above,  as  may  be 
seen  from  Mr.  Hodges'%  analysis  : 

Analysis  of  water  from  B.  Hightower's  well,  Curl  station. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    22.5 

Sodium    (Na)    540.2 

Lithium     (Li)        trace 

Magnesium    (Mg)    383.8 

Calcium   (Ca)    607.2 

Iron   and  alumina  (Fe2O3,   A12O3)    18.2 

Chlorine    (Cl)     761.1 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    3085.0 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    14.0 

Silica    (SiOa)     42.9 

5474.9 


The  waters  of  the  flatwoods  will  be  referred  to  again  under 
Marengo  County. 

The  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  formations  in  Sumter  and  other 
counties'  of  the  Coastal  Plain  are  mantled  by  pebbles  and  red 
loam  of  the  Lafayette  formation,  and  where  erosion  has  re- 
moved Tcast  from  the  surface,  as  on  the  divides,  the  lands  are 
almost  level  and  are  capped  by  this  red  loam  with  the  pebbles 
below  it.  In  these  table-lands  there  is  an  ample  supply  of  the 
best  freestone  water,  gathered  and  stored  in  the  sands  and 
pebble  beds'.  Wherever  these  conditions  prevail  no  borings  for 
artesian  waters  have  generally  been  made.  In  the  territory  of 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  135 

the  Selma  chalk  the  remnants  of  the  red  loam  and  pebble  beds 
are  generally  small  and  insufficient  to  provide  a  durable  water 
supply.  In  the  sandier  parts  of  the  Cretaceous  (Ripley)  and  in 
the  greater  part  of  the  territory  south  of  the  Flatwoods  the 
Lafayette  mantle  remains  in  good  part  intact,  and  the  water 
supply  is  correspondingly  adequate  for  open  wells  and  springs. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  records'  presented  below  show  fairly  well  the  artesian 
conditions  in  Sumter  County.  They  are  given  in  the  approxi- 
mate order  of  their  geographic  and  geologic  relations;  the 
wells  in  Warsaw  and  vicinity  being  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  and  nearest  the  base  of  .the  Selma  chalk,  and  the 
others  following  progressively  southward  and  westward  and 
being  on  successively  later  strata* 

The  deep  wells  all  derive  their  water  from  the  Eutaw  sands. 

WARSAW    AND    VICINITY. 

Town  well  No.  1,  located  in  street:  bored  in  1848  by  Peter  Burns;  depth, 
400  (?)  feet,  diameter,  4  inches;  first  overflow  at  300  feet;  well  originally 
flowed  a  2-inch  stream;  on  sounding  the  well  in  1893  Peter  Clements 
found  it  to  be  only  300  feet  deep;  present  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute. 

Town  well  No.  2,  in  street,  150  yards  northwest  of  No.  1;  bored  by  Peter 
Burns  in  1849;  depth,  450  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  first  flowing  water  from 
300  feet;  yield  two-thirds  gallons  per  minute;  stands  1  foot  below  thev 
surface. 

J.  W.  Gentry's  well,  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  560  feet;  casing, 
26  feet  of  3-inch  pipe;  first  water  at  300  feet,  rose  10  feet  above  the  sur- 
face; second  water  at  560  feet,  rose  40  feet  above  the  surface;  original 
flow  (estimated),  250  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  5  1-2  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  71°. 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Bell's  well,  near  Warsaw,  in  Section  33,  Township  23,  Range 
2  W.;  bored  in  1851  by  Peter  Burns;  depth,  400  feet;  original  flow,  1  1-2 
inch  stream  from  depth  of  300  feet;  present  volume,  1  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°. 

Well  on  old  N.  A.  Rogers  place,  in  Section  33,  Township  23,  Range  2  W., 
near  Warsaw;  bored  by  Peter  Burns  in  1850;  depth,  450  feet;  flow,  from 
300  feet;  now  in  decay. 


*Some  of  the  wells  in  the  vicinity  of  Sherman  are  in  &umter 
County,  though  described  under  Pickens  County.  Sherman  is  very 
close  to  t^e  county  line,  but  in  Sumter. 


136  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  on  Rogers  estate,  near  Warsaw;  bored  by  Simon  &  Ladd  in  1897; 
depth,  300  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  first  flow  at  250  feet;  volume,  1  1-2 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°. 

Well  on  Weston  place,  near  Warsaw  (?);  depth,  396  feet;  flows  one- 
third  of  a  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 

Well  on  J.  J.  Little's  estate,  one-half  mile  north  of  Warsaw;  bored  be- 
tween 1850-1860  by  John  Horn;  1  1-2  inch  stream  originally,  but  now  yields 
one-quarter  of  a  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

William  Willis's  weM,  1  1-2  miles  north  of  Warsaw;  bored  about  1850  by 
John  Horn;  no  record. 

J.  J.  Little's  well,  on  Washington  place,  4  miles  north  of  Warsaw;  no 
data  obtainable. 

Wiley  Barnes's  well,  2  1-2  miles  north  of  Warsaw;  bored  in  1847;  origi- 
nally gave  a  2-inch  stream. 

Robert  Oliver's  well,  4  miles  north  of  Warsaw;  new  well;  flow,  5  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Wells  on  Andrew  Lyon's  place,  4  1-2  miles  north  of  Warsaw;  No.  1, 
bored  in  1855  (?);  water  stands  at  -60  feet.  No.  2,  40  feet  lower  than  No. 
1;  flows,  10  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 

J.  P.  Rogers's  well,  one  half  mile  northwest  of  Warsaw;  bored  in  1847 
by  Peter  Burns;  originally  gave  a  1  1-2  inch  stream,  but  was  abandoned 
thirty  years  ago. 

Well  on  Nan  Stone  place,  1  1-2  miles  northwest  of  Warsaw;  bored  about 
1845;  original  stream,  1  1-2  inch;  present  volume,  one-half  gallon  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  69°. 

William  Peebles's  well,  2  miles  northeast  of  Warsaw:  bored  in  1845  by 
John  Horn;  originally  gave  2  1-2  to  3  inch  stream. 

Well  on  old  Bell  place,  3  miles  northwest  of  Warsaw;  water  stands  at 
-18  feet. 

C.  J.  Brockway's  well,  4  miles  northwest  of  Warsaw;  bored  by  Ladd  in 
1898;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72°. 

J.  P.  Rogers's  well,  one-fourth  mile  west  of  Warsaw,  in  Section  33, 
Township  23,  Range  2,  W. ;  bored  by  C.  T.  White,  in  1901;  depth,  300  feet; 
cased  to  rock  with  3-inch  casing;  first  water  at  220  feet,  rising  10  feet 
above  surface;  original  volume,  6  gallons  per  minute;  temperature  69°. 
Record;  Sand,  0-26  feet;  blue  rock,  26-220  feet;  sand  and  water,  220-300  feet. 

F.  M.  Grove's  well,  one-half  mile  west  of  post  office  at  Warsaw,  in  Sec- 
tion 33,  Township  23,  Range  2  W.;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1901;  depth, 
460  feet;  casing,  20  feet  of  3  1-2  inch  pipe;  first  water  at  250  feet,  rose  to 
-10  feet;  second  water  at  300  feet,  rose  to  -10  feet;  third  water  at  40Q 
feet,  overflowing;  fourth  water  at  460  feet,  flows;  yield,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  temperature,  70°;  water  found  beneath  a  thin,  solidified  layer. 

Well   of  Oliver  &  Oliver,   8  miles  west  of  Warsaw;   small  stream. 

Well  on  Mac  Roger's  place,  5  miles  southwest  of  Warsaw;  old  well; 
flows  1  1-4  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  137 

J.  H.  Pinson's  wells,  7  miles  southwest  of  Warsaw,  in  Section  9;  Town- 
ship 22,  Range  3  W.;  No.  1  bored  by  J.  W.  Patterson  in  1902;  depth,  702 
feet;  casing,  250  feet  of  2-inch  pipe,  4-inch  casing  at  top;  supply,  from 
the  third  water  horizon,  will  rise  to  40  feet  above  surface;  flow,  2  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  71°.  No.  2,  bored  about  1855;  flows,  one-third 
of  a  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  68°. 

J.  W.  Patterson's  well,  7  miles  southwest  of  Warsaw,  in  Section  23, 
Township  22,  Range  3  W. ;  bored  by  C.  T.  White,  in  1901;  depth,  700  feet; 
casing,  3  1-2  inch  to  rock;  250  feet  of  2-inch  pipe;  first  water  at  460  feet, 
rose  to  -30  feet;  second  water  at  500  feet,  rose  to  -30  feet;  third  water  at 
700  feet,  rose  to  6  feet  above  surface;  estimated  flow,  1  to  2  gallons  per 
minute. 

Record  of  Patterson  tvell,  1  miles  southwest  of  Warsaw. 


Feet. 

Soil    0  —  20 

Blue   rock   20  —  200 

Hard,   dry  sand 200  —  300 

Blue  rock   300  —  4*50 

Sand  460  —  500 

Soapstone     500  —  700 


Well  on  Taylor  place,  2  miles  south  of  Warsaw  in  Section  9,  Township 
22,  Range  2  W. ;  bored  about  1855  by  John  Horn;  depth,  400  feet;  cased  be- 
low rock  with  iron  pipe;  good  stream  until  1902,  when  it  was  stopped  by 
entrance  of  sand. 

GAINESVILLE    AND    VICINITY. 

Some  distance  down  the  river,  about  Gainesville,  artesian 
wells  are  numerous,  many  of  them  dating  back  to  before  the 
civil  war.  In  general  the  first  water  in  the  vicinity  of  Gaines- 
ville is  much  more  salty  than  the  second.  The  following  are 
the  records : 

John  Rogers's  well,  Gainesville;  depth,  630  feet;  principal  water  supply 
at  630  feet;  water  rises  to  20  feet  above  surface;  quality  good;  well  starts 
in  the  "rotten  limestone"  and  obtains  its  supply  from  the  Eutaw  forma- 
tion; blue  rock  is  reached  at  27  feet  from  the  surface  and  is  383  feet  thick. 

Old  mill  well,  Gainesville;  owned  by  the  town;  bored  about  1850;  depth, 
€00  feet;  formerly  overflowed,  but  is  now  pumped;  yield,  1  1-2  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  G9°. 

R.  II.  Long's  well,  near  Gainesville,  in  Section  2,  Township  21,  Range  2 
W.,  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  626  feet,  rose  to  25  feet  above  the 


1 38  DETAILS  :       COASTAL   PLAIN    DIVISION. 

surface;  estimated  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  no  decrease.  Record:  Gravel 
and  sand,  0-43  feet;  blue  rock,  43-375  feet;  sand  and  water,  375-475  feet; 
"soapstone,"  475-626  feet. 

John  A.  Rogers's  well,  near  Gainesville  in  Section  7,  Township  21,  Range 
2  W. ;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  630  feet;  casing,  300  feet  of 
2-inch  pipe;  first  water,  at  375  feet,  rose  to  -24  feet;  second  water,  at  630 
feet,  rose  to  20  feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  volume 
constant;  temperature,  73°.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-375  feet; 
sand  and  water,  375-475  feet;  "soapstone."  475-630  feet. 

Mrs.  Ben  Moy's  well,  4  miles  north  of  Gainesville;  old  well;  flow  very 
weak,  decreasing,  in  decay. 

Mrs.  Mooring's  well,  5  miles  north  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  Joe  Ladd 
(colored)  in  1875  (?);  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  71°;  4  inch 
casing  to  blue  rock. 

Well  on  Sallie  Rogers's  place,  6  miles  north  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  C. 
T.  White  in  1899;  depth,  500  feet;  casing,  30  feet  of  3  inch  pipe;  estimated 
original  volume  15  gallons;  flow  now  1  1-3  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 71°;  first  water,  at  350  feet,  rose  just  to  surface;  second  water,  at 
450  feet,  rose  to  30  feet  above  the  surface.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue 
rock,  20-350  feet. 

Mrs.  L.  A.  Landford's  old  well,  2  miles  northwest  of  Gainesville;  flows 
one-eighth  of  a  gallon  per  minute,  at  4  feet  above  the  surface;  tempera- 
ture, 69°. 

L.  A.  Knight's  well,  6  miles  northwest  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  Howard 
Horn  in  1855  (?)  ;flows  1  1-4  gallons  per  minute;  considerable  leakage; 
temperature,  69°. 

Well  on  Marsh  place,  7  1-2  miles  northwest  of  Gainesville;  old  well, 
yielding  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Long  &  Patterson  wells,  in  Section  4,  Township  21,  Range  2  W. :  No.  1, 
1  1-2  miles  west  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  C.  T.  WThite  in  1900;  water  stands 
at  -1  foot;  depth,  700  feet;  casing,  250  feet  of  2-inch  pipe;  temperature, 
69°;  first  water,  at  475  feet,  rose  to  -40  feet;  second  water,  at  700  feet, 
rose  to  -15  feet.  Record:  Blue  rock,  0-475  feet;  sand  and  water,  475-515 
feet;  successive  strata  of  blue  rock  and  clay,  515-700  feet.  No.  2,  1  3-4  miles 
west  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  700  feet;  casing, 
250  feet  of  2-inch  pipe;  estimated  to  be  12  feet  lower  than  No.  1;  original 
flow,  about  6  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 74°.  No.  3,  1  1-2  miles  west  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  J.  W.  Pat- 
terson in  1902;  depth,  676  feet;  water  rising  to  30  feet  above  the  surface 
at  676  feet;  flow,  stopped  by  accident;  water  now  stands  at  -15  feet. 

Well  of  William  Wier  (colored),  4  miles  southwest  of  Gainesville;  bored 
by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  700  feet;  casing,  200  feet  of  2-inch  pipe;  first 
water,  at  500  feet,  rose  to  -5  feet;  second  water,  at  700  feet,  rose  to  20 
feet  above  the  surface  (?);  original  volume  estimated  at  15  gallons  per 
minute;  present  volume,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  71°.  Record: 
Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-500  feet;  sand  and  water,  500-550  feet;  soap- 
stone,  550-700  feet. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  139 

Sam  T.  Jones's  wells:  No.  1,  on  Wyndham  place,  3  1-2  miles  south  of 
Gainesville;  flows,  one-quarter  of  a  gallon  per  minute,  formerly  much 
stronger;  temperature,  71°.  No.  2,  2  1-2  miles  south  of  Gainesville;  bored 
by  C.  T.  White  in  1901;  depth,  700  feet;  original  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute; 
present  flow,  about  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  70°;  first 
water,  at  400  feet,  rose  to  -20  feet;  second  water,  at  475  feet,  rose  to  -20 
feet;  third  water,  at  700  feet,  rose  to  17  feet  above  the  surface.  Record: 
Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  200-400  feet;  sand,  400-450  fet;  clay,  450-475  feet; 
sand  and  water,  475-700  feet.  No.  3,  one-half  mile  south  of  Gainesville; 
bored  by  J.  Ladd  to  360  feet,  and  finished  to  700  feet  by  C.  T.  White  in 
1901;  water  formerly  flowed,  but  now  stands  at  -1  foot;  casing  20  feet  of 
5-inch  pipe;  a  flow  of  water,  rising  to  -20  feet,  was  encountered  at  432 
feet.  Record  from  360  feet:  Sand  and  water,  360-400  feet;  successive  strata 
of  sand  and  soapstone,  400-700  feet. 

T.  L.  Smith's  well,  2  miles  south  of  Gainesville;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in 
1901;  depth,  735  feet,  casing,  320  feet  of  3  1-2  and  2-inch  pipe;  original  flow, 
1  or  2  gallons  per  minute.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-400;  pene- 
trated four  strata  of  sand. 

Well  of  Tom  Minneice  (colored),  3  1-2  miles  south  of  Gainesville  in  Sec- 
tion 18,  Township  21,  Range  1  W.;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth, 
600  feet;  casing  300  feet;  original  volume  (estimated),  25  gallons  per  minute; 
present  volume,  12  gallons  per  minute;  first  water  at  300  feet,  rose  to  10 
feet  above  the  surface;  second  water,  at  600  feet,  rose  to  25  feet  above 
the  surface;  temperature,  71°.  Record:  Soil  (clay),  0-34  feet:  blue  rock, 
34-276  feet;  sand  and  water;  276-600  feet. 

R.  H.  Long's  well,  2  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Gainesville,  in  Section  13, 
Township  21,  Range  2  W.;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1900;  depth,  600  feet; 
casing  250  feet  of  2-inch  pipe;  first  water  at  350  feet,  rose  to  -20  feet;  second 
water,  at  600  feet,  rose  to  20  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  15  gal- 
lons per  minute;  present  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72°.  Rec- 
ord: Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-350  feet;  sand,  350-400  feet;  soapstone, 
400-600  feet. 

Well  on  Senator  Morgan  place,  4  miles  southeast  of  Gainesville,  in  Sec- 
tion 18,  Township  21,  Range  1  W. ;  deepened  from  350  to  550  feet  by  C.  T. 
White;  flow,  3  3-4  gallons  per  minute  at  4  feet  above  the  surface;  no  de- 
crease since  well  was  deepened;  temperature,  71°. 

J.  A.  Rogers's  old  wells  on  Swilley  place:  No.  1,  5  miles  southeast  of 
Gainesville,  in  Section  20,  Township  21,  Range  1  W.;  water  formerly 
flowed,  but  now  stands  at  -8  feet.  No.  2,  6  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Gaines- 
ville, in  Section  22,  Township  21,  Range  1,  W. ;  flow,  7  gallons  per  minute  at 
3  feet  above  the  sx*-face;  temperature,  69°. 

EPES    AND   VICINITY. 

Well  of  Epes  Cotton  Oil  Company,  at  Epes,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Tombigbee,  on  Jones  Bluff,  the  site  of  old  Fort  Consti- 


140  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

tution ;  bored  in  1899  by  J.  I.  Hawk.  The  altitude  of  Epes  is 
125  feet  and  it  stands  on  the  white  chalk  rock.  Depth  of  well, 
737  feet;  record  as  follows: 

Record  of  Epes  well. 


Blue  rock   

Feet. 
442 

in. 
0 

Reddish  muddy  substance 

65 

o 

Greenish  sand,  with  water  

103 

0 

Stone 

o 

g 

Rusty,  hard  pan   

70 

Stone 

o 

3 

White  sand  

42 

o 

At  first  a  small  stream  ran  out  at  the  surface;  on  lowering 
the  boring,  a  rather  better  stream  was  obtained,  but  it  is  still 
weak,  less  than  a  gallon  a  minute ;  surface  about  the  well  has 
been  lowered  in  order  to  get  better  overflow.  An  analysis  of 
this  water  was  furnished  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Harkness1,*  who  also 
furnished  the  record  of  the  well : 

Partial  analysis  of  water  from  Epes  well. 


Parts  per  million. 

Total  solids  in  solution 3605.25 

Volatile  and   organic 60.24 

Chlorine    (Cl)     1927.13 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 3.94 

Silica   (SiOo)    11.81 

Magnesium    (Mg)    14.95 

Calcium   (Ca)    45.17 

Sulphuric  acid   ,SO4)    Trace 

Sodium   (Na),   present  in   large  amount  but  not 

determined 

Carbonic  acid,  present  but  not  determined. 
Potassium  (K)  Trace 


Mrs.  A.  M.  Tart's  well,  3  miles  southeast  of  Epes;  bored  by  Murray 
about  1852;  depth,  930  feet;  cased  400  feet;  flowing  water  between  800  and 
900  feet;  yield,  28  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  79°. 

W.  A.  C.  Jones'  well,  1  1-4  miles  southwest  of  Mrs.  Tart's  well  above 
mentioned,  but  about  150  feet  higher  on  a  hard  limestone  ridge.  Bored  by 
E.  L.  Machamer,  1906.  Depth,  about  1,000  feet.  Water  rises  to  within 
100  feet  of  surface,  pumped  by  windmill.  Casing  at  bottom  150  feet  2-inch 
pipe,  and  on  this  160  feet  of  2  1-2  inch  pipe. 

*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon;  recomputed  to  parta 
per  million  at  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  141 

Record  of  W.  A.  C.  Jones'  well. 


Feet. 

Brownish  soft  top  soil   0  to    20 

Blue   rotten    lime   rock    20—    72 

White    soft    lime    rock 72  —  495 

Tough  white  rock   495  —  571 

Blue  lime  rock   571  —  767 

Hard    white    sand    rock     767  —  773 

Greensand  with  water  773  —  778 

Fine  sand  rock  with  thin  layers  of  hard  rock 
and    water    which    rose    to    within    128    feet 

of  top   778  —  834 

Very  hard  blue  flint  rock 834  —  836 

Greenish  sand  with  water   836  —  870 

Soft,   dark  and   muddy  earth  alternating  with 

beds  of  hard  rock  and  sand,  water  bearing.. 870  —  992 


T.  V.  White's  well,  3  1-2  miles  northwest  of  Epes,  in  Section  11,  Town- 
ship 20,  Range  2  W.;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1901;  depth,  700  feet;  original 
flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72°;  first  water  at  500  feet;  rose 
to  -3  feet;  second  water,  at  550  feet,  rose  to  -15  feet;  third  water,  at  700 
feet;  flows;  casing,  320  feet.  Record:  Blue  rock,  0-500  feet;  sand  with 
water,  500-540  feet;  clay,  540-550  feet;  sand  with  water,  550-570  feet;  pink 
soapstone,  570-700  feet. 

Louis  Brown's  well,  5  miles  northwest  of  Epes,  in  Section  9,  Township 
20,  Range  2  W. ;  bored  by  C.  T.  White  in  1901;  depth,  735  feet;  water  level, 
-15  feet;  first  water,  at  600  feet,  rose  to  -40  feet;  second  water,  at  650  feet, 
rose  to  -40  feet;  third  water,  at  735  feet,  rose  to  -15  feet;  temperature  72°. 
Blue  rock,  600  feet  thick;  otherwise,  record  is  similar  to  that  of  T.  V. 
White's  well. 

SUM1EEVILLE    AND    VICINITY. 

The  elevation  of  the  ridge  on  which  Sumterville  stands  is 
too  great  for  flowing  water,  but  by  artesian  borings  water  could 
certainly  be  obtained  sufficiently  near  the  surface  to  be  raised 
by  pumps.  At  present  the  water  supply  is  obtained  from  cis- 
terns'. At  the  base  of  the  ridge,  with  proper  selection  of  local- 
ity, flowing  water  might  be  obtained,  but  the  boring  would  be 
deep,  as  is  shown  by  the  records  at  Epes  and  Livingston. 

LIVINGSTON    AND    VICINITY. 

On  the  upper  strata  of  the  chalk  formation  and  the  overly- 
ing Ripley  stands  Livingston,  the  county  seat  of  Sumter 
County.  Here  a  well  has  been  bored  which  exhibits  the  full 
thickness  of  the  chalk.  The  record  is  as  follows:  Soil  and 


142  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

surface  sands,  20  feet;  Selma  chalk,  or  blue  rock,  930  feet; 
Eutaw  sands  to  bottom  of  well  (1062  feet),  112  feet.  The 
first  water  was  reached  immediately  below  the  blue  rock,  at  966 
feet,  affording  a  small  stream  which  rose  to  the  surface;  at 
1005  feet  a  larger  stream  was  obtained  in  coarse  green  sand, 
and  deeper  drilling  discovered  no  other  water.  The  flow  is 
quite  feeble,  the  water  barely  reaching  the  surface,  which  has 
been  lowered  about  the  mouth  of  the  well  for  convenience 
in  collecting  the  water. 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  at  Livingston. 
Analyst,  Dr.  R.  E. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    1996.65 

Magnesium    (Mg)    14.65 

Calcium     (Ca)     48.58 

Iron    (Fe)    2.19 

Chlorine    (Cl)     3123.18 

Bromine  (Br)   13.16 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    127.45 

Strontium    (Sr)     Trace 

Silica  (SiO2)   19.50 


5335.36 

Cc.  per  liter. 

Free  carbonic  acid  in  solution 92.97 

Carbonic  acid  in  combination   40.36 


Total  carbonic  acid  ., 133.33 


A  considerable  quantity  of  inflammable  gas  comes  with  the 
water.    This  water  is  considered  beneficial  to  the  health. 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon,  and  hypothetical'  com- 
binations; recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S 
Geological  Survey. 

Allison  Lumber  Company's  well,  about  11  miles  south  of  Livingston,  and 
3  miles  south  of  Bellamy  station,  on  the  Southern  Railway,  in  Section  13, 
Township  17,  Range  2  W.;  bored  in  1903;  depth,  1010  feet.  Record:  Soil 
and  clay,  0-20  feet;  black  clay  (Sucarnochee  or  Flatwoods  clay),  20-160 
feet;  white  lime  rock,  160-1000  feet;  below  this  quicksand  and  water  which 
overflows  and  yields  about  3  gallons  per  minute.  From  the  record  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  mouth'  of  the  well  is  on  the  Flatwoods  clay  (Tertiary), 
and  that  the  boring,  like  that  at  Livingston,  passes  through  the  whole 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  143 

chalk  formation  into  the  Eutaw  sand.    The  water  from  this  well  has  been 
analyzed  by  Mr.   Hodges,   and  has   the   following  composition: 

Analysis    of    water    from    Allison    Lumber    Company's    well,    near 

Bellamy. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    132 

Sodium     (Na) 540.2 

Magnesium     (Mg)     43.1 

Calcium   (Ca)    139.6 

Iron  and  alumina   (Fe2O3,   AloO3)    5.2 

Chlorine    (Cl)    4538.0 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    .3 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     784.5 

Silica    (SiO2)     50.8 


8573.7 


Another  well  was  bored-  by  the  same  company  at  their  logging  camp, 
3  miles  farther  south.  The  record  was  about  the  same  as  that  given  above, 
except  that  both  the  black  clay  and  the  lime  rock  were  thicker,  the  total 
depth  of  the  well  being  1240  feet.  The  water  rises  to  within  5  feet  of  the 
surface;  on  lowering  the  surface  below  that  depth  a  small  flow,  less  than 
half  a  gallon  per  minute,  is  obtained.  It  was  thought  that  there  was 
some  leakage  at  the  contact  of  the  black  clay  with  the  lime  rock  at  about 
200  feet  depth,  since  the  water  rose  with  great  force  to  that  height.  Both 
wells  are  cased  for  40  feet,  with  an  8-inch  hole  below  the  casing.  The 
water  in  the  well  at  the  logging  camp  is  not  so  salty  nor  so  highly  im- 
pregnated with  other  minerals  as  that  in  the  other  well. 

Sumter  Lumber  Company's  wells:  No.  1,  4  miles  southwest  of  Living- 
ston, in  the  Flatwoods;  bored  by  F.  H.  Braswell;  depth,  1260  feet;  no  de- 
tails. No.  2,  5  miles  west  of  Livingston,  also  in  the  Flatwoods;  said  to  be 
the  only  well  drilled  in  Sumter  County  west  of  Livingston;  bored  by  F. 
H.  Braswell  in  1902;  never  flnishedl 


GREENE  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  Tuscaloosa  formation  underlies  a  small  area,  about  one 
township  in  extent,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Greene  County ; 
the  rest  of  the  county  is  underlain  by  beds  of  the  Eutaw  and 
Selma  chalk  in  belts  of  nearly  equal  width  from  northeast  to 
southwest.  Over  all  the  older  rocks  was  spread  the  Lafayette 
mantle  of  pebbles  and  red  loam,  remnants  of  which  are  still 


144  DETAILS  I       COASTAL    PLAIN    DIVISION. 

to  be  seen  in  the  high  plateaus  between  the  watercourses,  where 
the  country  has  been  least  affected  by  erosion.  These  high,  level 
lands,  400  to  500  feet  above  tide,  are  excellent  farming  tracts. 
The  soils  are  slightly  les's  fertile  than  those  of  the  prairies,  but 
their  level  surface,  their  responsiveness  to  fertilizers,  and  the 
abundant  supply  of  the  best  freestone  water,  stored  up  in  the 
pebbles  and  sands  and  easily  reached  by  wells  less1  than  100 
feet  deep  or  appearing  as  hillside  springs,  more  than  compen- 
sate for  the  slight  difference  in  original  fertility.  In  the  prai- 
ries these  remnants  of  the  Lafayette  mantle  are  not  so  common 
as  in  other  sections',  but  here  and  there  they  form  conspicuous 
features  of  the  landscape,  as  for  instance  in  the  "Fork"  between 
Black  Warrior  and  Tombigbee  rivers,  where  they  appear  as 
isolated  conical  hills  upon  which  many  oldtime  mansions  are 
located.  The  smaller  hills  of  this  sort  strongly  resemble  Indian 
mounds,  and  several  of  them  may  be  seen  from  Burton  Hill 
From  the  contact  of  the  limestone  with  the  overlying  Lafayette 
sands  and  pebble  beds,  fine  springs  of  freestone  water  gush  out 
wherever  the  area  of  the  hill  is  large  enough  to  afford  an  ade- 
quate collecting  ground.  The  settlement  of  Burton  Hill  is  sup- 
plied in  this  way. 

The  Lafayette  is  also  very  generally  found  on  the  third  ter- 
race of  the  two  rivers  at  an  altitude  of  from  80  to  100  feet  above 
the  "second  bottom,"  or  lowlands.  Here  also,  as'  on  the  high 
plateaus,  these  materials  are  found  in  flat  lands  which  are  up- 
ward of  3  miles  wide.  The  writer  has  been  unable  to  discover 
any  difference  in  structure  and  arrangement  between  the  red 
loam  and  pebbles  of  this  formation  occurring  on  the  high  di- 
vides and  those  on  the  river  terraces  200  feet  below. 

From  Knoxville  to  Eutaw  the  strata  of  the  Eutaw  formation 
are  crossed  in  succession  from  base  to  top.  The  lower  beds  are 
yellow  and  reddish  cross^-bedded  sands,  with  thin  streaks  and 
flakes  of  gray  clay  separating  the  sand  layers.  Above  these, 
dark-gray  laminated  clays  alternating  with  yellowish  sands  be- 
come more  prominent,  and  near  Eutaw,  forming  the  uppermost 
strata  of  the  formation  are  cross-bedded  greensands.  From  the 
character  of  these  materials  it  will  be  easily  understood  that 
the  topography  of  the  Eutaw  terranes  is  very  much  broken. 
with  steep  rounded  hills  and  deep  gullies.  The  soils  resulting 
from  the  decomposition  of  the  Eutaw  beds  are  usually  sandy, 
but  there  is  generally  a  mixture  of  lime  with  the  sand  by  which 


WATERS  OF  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  145 

they  are  easily  distinguishable  from  the  s'andy  soils  of  the  La- 
fayette even  when  the  two,  as  is  often  the  case,  are  found  in 
juxtaposition. 

At  the  town  of  Eutaw  begin  the  beds  of  "rotten  limestone"  or 
Selma  chalk,  which  underlie  all  the  rest  of  the  county  westward 
to  Tombigbee  River. 

In  the  Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw  territory  the  sandy  beds  of 
these  formations',  as  well  as  of  the  overlying  Lafayette,  are,  as 
usual,  a  guarantee  of  an  adequate  supply  of  good  freestone 
water,  and  in  this  part  of  the  county,  artesian  wells  are  not  very 
numerous.  Of  the  wells  in  the  list  furnished  by  Judge  G.  B. 
Mobley,  of  Eutaw  (see  below),  only  those  around  Clinton,  at 
Lock  5  (now  Lock  8)  at  Springfield,  in  north  Eutaw,  and  about 
Finch's  Ferry,  are  located  in  the  territory  of  the  Eutaw  forma- 
tion. To  these,  however,  may  be  added  the  wells  in  the  city 
of  Eutaw  itself,  which  is  situated  at  the  contact  of  the  Eutaw 
with  the  "rotten  limestone,"  all  thes'e  wells  except  those  at  the 
lock  in  the  river  bottom,  are  close  to  the  line  of  contact. 

From  the  data  given  below  it  will  be  seen  that  only  a  few 
borings,  in  the  extreme  northeast  corner  of  the  county,  are  in 
the  area  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation.  These  and  most  of  those 
just  enumerated,  including  the  deeper  borings  in  the  city  of  Eu- 
taw, penetrate  into  the  Tuscaloosa  strata.  With  these  few  ex- 
ceptions the  wells  of  Greene  County  derive  their  waters  from  the 
Eutaw  sands'. 

ARTESIAN  RECORDS. 

In  the  region  occupied  by  the  "rotten  limestone,"  or  Selma 
chalk  the  usual  absence  of  shallow  waters  may  be  noted,  and  a 
correspondingly  large  number  of  artesian  wells.  The  great  ma 
jority  of  these  wells  are  located  in  the  northeastern  half  of  the 
belt  of  limestone,  within  10  or  12  miles  of  the  line  of  junction 
with  the  Eutaw,  probably  because  the  depth  to  water  there  av- 
erages perhaps  not  more  than  500  to  600  feet.  In  the  southwes- 
tern half  of  the  limestone  belt  the  depth  to  water  increases  to 
looo  feet  and. more,  as  shown  in  the  Livingston  well  across  the 
Tombigbee  in  Sumter  County. 


10 


146 


DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN   DIVISION. 


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152  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

The  following  records  may  be  given  of  wells  not  included  in 
the  above  list  and  of  some  in  the  list  of  which  further  details 
are  available.  They  are  named  in  order  from  north  to  south. 

SIPSEY. 

Well  on  Mose  Morton's  place,  opposite  Sipsey  Mill  well  in  Pickens 
County;  depth,  not  recorded;  water  flows  at  4  feet  above  the  surface; 
yield,  15  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65°. 

(LOCK  6  NOW  LOCK  9)  BLACK  WARRIOR  RIVER. 

A.  P.  Patton's  well;  bored  by  Kinniard  in  1891;  depth  reported,  300  feet; 
casing,  3-inch;  original  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute;  volume  later  fell  off 
to  a  little  over  a  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  63°. 

STEELE  BLUFF. 

Well  of  Judge  A.  P.  Smith,  of  Eutaw;  bored  by  Morrison  &  Morrison 
in  1902;  depth,  400  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flows  at  25  feet  above  the  surface; 
volume  constant;  cased  to  360  feet;  weak  flow  of  water  from  330  feet; 
yield,  22  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°.  Record:  Clay,  sand,  0-30 
feet;  pink  soapstone,  30-250  feet;  sand  and  water,  250-400  feet. 

Well  of  Jeff  Patton,  of  Knoxville,  on  Tombigbee  River,  one-half  mile 
above  Steeles  Bluff,  in  the  SW.  1-4,  Section  12,  Township  23,  Range  3  E.; 
bored  by  Kinniard  &  Sample  in  1901;  depth,  360  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first 
flowing  water  at  200  feet;  flowed  originally  50  gallons  per  minute,  but  had 
ceased  before  November,  1901.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-130  feet;  soap- 
stone,  130-170  feet;  blue  rock,  170-200  feet;  sand  and  blue  rock  with  water, 
200-260  feet.  This  well  has  since  caved  in  and  is  lost. 

CLINTON  AND  VICINITY.* 

About  the  town  of  Clinton  there  are  28  wells,  varying  in  depth 
from  250  to  350  feet.  Most  of  the  streams  are  bold  and  con- 
stant, the  waters  being  very  pure,  with  traces  of  salt  and  soda. 
Three  of  these  wells  are  used  to  supply  the  boilers  of  the  steam 
ginneries  and  grist  mills',  but  the  others  are  used  solely  for  or- 
dinary domestic  purposes. 

EUTAW  AND  VICINITY  AND  SOUTHWARD. 

The  water  of  most  of  the  wells  about  Eutaw  is  rather  strongly 
impregnated  with  salt.  Some  of  the  old  wells'  at  Finch's  Ferry, 
mnetioned  in  Judge  Mobley's  list  (p.  146),  were  used  for  mak- 
ing salt  during  the  civil  war. 

*See  also  Mobley  list,  page  146. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  153 

The  following  analyses  by  Mr.  Hodges  will  still  better  illus- 
trate the  character  of  these  waters. 

Analyses  of  waters  from  wells  near  Eutaw. 


Potassium   (K) 

Pai 
No.  1 

5  2 

•ts  per  r 

No.  2 
9  8 

nillion. 
No.  3 
7.6 

No.4 

23  4 

Sodium    (Na)    
Magnesium  (Mg) 

221.  S 
5 

193.0 
5  3 

430.0 
3  0 

1750.0 
29  G 

Calcium  (Ca) 

7  0 

24  7 

14.0 

175.6 

Iron  &  alumina  (Fe2C>3, 
Chlorine   (Cl) 

A12O3)          2.1 
232  7 

1.9 

220  7 

2.7 
515  0 

5.7 
2986  1 

Sulphuric  acid   (SOi) 

.6 

.9 

1.2 

3.2 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   .. 
Silica    (SiO2) 

217.  G 
11  2 

246.7 

7  2 

319.7 
8  6 

173.7 

8  7 

710.2   1301.8   5156.0 


No.  i.*  From  Crassdale  plantation  of  J.  O.  Banks,  Jr., 
near  Eutaw,  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  30,  Township 
22,  Range  2  E.  Bored  in  1854.  See  PI.  XV.  A. 

No.  2*  From  Little  Egypt  well,  Crassdale  Plantation  of 
J.  O.  Banks,  Jr.,  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  of  Section  25, 
Township  22,  Range  I  E.  Bored  by  Ladd  in  1899. 

No.  3.     From  city  waterworks',  Eutaw. 

No.  4.*  From  dump  well,  on  Alabama  Great  Southern  Rail- 
road, between  Eutaw  and  Finch's  Ferry. 

A  record  of  the  boring  for  the  well  at  the  court-house  in 
Eutaw,  in  1853,  taken  from  Professor  Winchell's  article,*  iff  as 
follows : 

Record  of  Court  House  well,  Eutaw. 

John  W.  Elliott,  Superintendent  of  Work. 

Feet. 

Soil  and  red  clay 15 

Sand  and  soft,  light-colored,  mottled  clay 45 

White  sand  and  water 3 

Blue  shale  and  yellowish  clay,  alternating 200 

Yellowish  clay,  inclining  to  red 100 


*Winchell,  Dr.  A.,  Proc.  Am.  Assoc.  Adv.  Sci.,  Vol.  10,  1856,  p.  95. 
*See  also  Mobley  list,  page  146. 


154  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Red,  caving  soil,  crumbling  like  rotten  brick 100 

Sand  (water),  brown,  white,  and  greenish 20 

Red  and  yellowish  clay ion 

Dark-brown  sand 50 

Coarse  reddis'h  sand  with  gravel  and  scales  of  mica 80 

Reddis'h  "soapstone"  like  a  bed  of  clay 

743 

This  record  might  be  interpreted  as  follows :  Soil  and  surface 
materials,  15  feet;  Eutaw  beds,  378  feet;  Tuscaloosa  beds, 
350  feet.  In  this  well  water,  rising  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
surface,  was  found  at  less'  than  100  feet. 

The  last  well  sunk  in  the  public  square  at  Eutaw  penetrated 
the  red  Tus^caloosa  clays  at  the  depth  of  445  feet,  the  thick- 
ness of  the  clay  being  40  feet.  Below  this,  at  about  480  feet, 
came  a  quicksand,  36  feet  thick,  down  to  the  next  indurated 
bed  below.  As  soon  as  the  quicksand  was  struck  the  water 
overflowed  for  an  hour,  but  sank  when  the  sand  was  agitated, 
to  its  present  stand  of  -16  feet. 

Well  at  Alabama  Great  Southern  Railroad  depot;  altitude, 
185  feet;  drilled  in  1886;  depth,  400  feet;  water  ?alty;  over- 
flowed at  first,  but  has  ceased  to  do1  so.  This  well,  starting  in 
the  Eutaw,  penetrates  the  purple  clays  of  the  Tuscaloos'a  at 
the  depth  of  about  400  feet. 

McClure  Lumber  Company's  well,  near  the  dump  well  No.  4  in  table 

above,  p.  ,  in  the  W.  half  N.  E.  quarter  Section  36,  Township  22,  Range 

2  E ;  now  (July,  1905)  boring. 

Mr.  J.  G.  Harris's  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  4,  Township  21, 
Range  2  E.,  south  of  the  depot  in  Eutaw;  depth,  80  feet. 

Judge  T.  W.  Roberts's  well,*  1  mile  south  of  Eutaw,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
S.  E.  quarter  Section  4,  Township  21,  Range  2E;  diameter  at  bottom, 
1  1-2  inches;  depth,  239  feet;  first  water  reported  at  52  1-2  feet;  water  supply 
at  bottom;  flows  at  surface;  carries  some  salt;  starts  in  Selma  chalk  and 
probably  gets  water  in  the  Eutaw  sands.  Record:  Clay  and  sand  to 
lime  rock,  11  feet;  rotten  lime  rock  (water  at  bottom),  39  feet;  bMe 
lime  rock,  150  feet;  sand,  10  feet;  dark  soapstone,  16  feet;  sand,  3  feet; 
soapstone,  6  feet;  hard  rock,  2  feet;  sand  to  water,  2  feet. 

Well  on  Clarke  place  (owned  by  Ed.  and  Henry  Kinney)  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  9,  Township  21,  Range  2,  1  1-2  miles  south 
of  Eutaw,  500  yards  from  well  of  Judge  T.  W.  Roberts;  bored  by  Gus. 
Sample  in  May,  1905;  depth,  520  feet;  3-inch  casing;  flows  small  stream; 
pump  used;  blue  marl  encountered  at  16  feet,  continuing  for  500  feet. 

*See  also  Mobley  list,  page  146. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  155 

Well  on  Crenshaw  place,  formerly  F.  L.  Constantine's,  in  the  S.  E.  quar- 
ter S.  E.  quarter  Section  9.  Township  21,  Range  2  E.,  about  2  miles  south 
of  Eutaw;  bored  for  Eugene  Anderson  in  May.  1905,  by  Gus.  Sample; 
depth,  140  feet;  2  1-2-inch  casing;  first  water,  at  35  feet,  rose  to  surface; 
overflowing  water  at  60  feet  and  bold  (2  1-2-inch)  stream  at  105  feet. 

Well  on  J.  W.  Hall  place,  owned  by  Marion  James  (colored),  in  Section 
15,  Township  21,  Range  2  E.,  about  3  miles  south  of  Eutaw;  bored  in 
1904;  depth,  300  feet;  3-inch  casing;  flows  a  fine  stream. 

Wells  on  Clements  place,*  about  4  1-2  miles  south  of  Eutaw,  in  the  N. 
W.  quarter  Section  21,  Township  21,  Range  2  E.  (old  wells):  No.  1,  on 
Eutaw  and  Forkland  road;  yield,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  71°, 
water  salty.  No.  2,  one-half  mile  east  of  road;  deptn,  200  feet;  twenty- 
five  years  ago  gave  a  strong  stream,  but  has  gradually  weakened;  pres- 
ent overflow  9  feet  lower  than  formerly;  yield,  1  2-3  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  71°;  water  salty.  No.  3,  100  yards  from  house;  flow  exceed- 
ingly small. 

Wells  on  Judge  T.  W.  Coleman's  place  (formerly  Jos.  W.  Hall's): 
No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  33,  Township  21,  Range 
2  E.,  6  miles  south  of  Eutaw;  bored  in  the  fall  of  1904  by  Gus.  Sample; 
depth,  485  feet;  flows  1  1-2-inch  stream.  No.  2,  in  the  W.  1-2  N.  E.  quarter 
same  section;  completed  in  June,  1905. 

Judge  T.  W.  Robert's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  section  33,  Township  21, 
Range  2  E.,  about  6  miles  south  of  Eutaw;  bored  in  the  spring  of  1905 
by  Gus.  Sample;  depth,  about  450  feet;  flows  a  strong  stream.  An  old 
well  with  a  very  weak  flow,  on  the  same  place  is  mentioned  above  in  the 
Mobley  list  (p.  146.) 

Well  of  Dollarhide  Company,  in  the  W.  half  N.  W.  quarter  Section  2, 
Township  20,  Range  2,  E.,  on  top  of  hill  half  a  mile  west  of  the  old  well 
in  section  1  (see  Mobley  list),  which  is  in  the  swamp;  bored  in  November 
1904,  by  Gus.  Sample;  depth,  about  500  feet.  This  well  is  about  75  feet 
higher  than  the  old  well,  but  flows  a  stronger  stream. 

Judge  T.  W.  Roberts's  well,f  7  miles  south  of  Eutaw,  in  Section  3, 
Township  20,  Range  2  E.;  bored  by  Kinniard  &  Sample  in  1901;  depth,  405 
feet;  casing,  4  1-2-inch;  water  at  300  feet,  salty;  yield,  10  gallons  per  minute 
at  surface;  temperature,  70°.  An  old  well  near  by  this. 

Wells  on  Swilley  place,  9  miles  south  of  Eutaw,  owned  by  E.  W.  De- 
grauenreid,  of  Greensboro:  No.  1,  at  the  house,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  \V. 
quarter  Section  7,  Township  20,  Range  2  E. ;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1898; 
depth,  495  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  yield,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
71°;  flow  obtained  from  400  feet;  water  very  salty;  used  for '  domestic 
purposes  and  stock.  Record:  Clay,  0-10  feet;  blue  rock,  10-250  feet;  sand, 
with  thin  strata  of  blue  rock  and  water,  250-495  feet.  No.  2,  1  mile  north- 
east of  the  house,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  7,  Township 
20,  Range  2  E. ;  reported  by  Morrison  in  1898;  depth,  450  feet;  casing,  3-inch; 
yield,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  71°;  flow  from  400  feet;  water 
salty.  Record:  Clay,  0-10  feet;  blue  rock,  10-300  feet;  hard  rock,  300-308 
feet;  sand,  with  water,  306-450feet. 

S.  L.  Creswell's  wells,  10  miles  southwest  of  Eutaw,  in  Section  17, 
Township  20,  Range  2  E.:  No.  1,  depth,  456  feet;  temperature,  72°.  No. 

2.  in  field  at  Creswell's  plantation;  depth,  440  feet;  temperature,  71°.     No. 

3,  one-half  mile  north  of  No.  1,;  depth,  550  feet;  temperature,  72°. 


*See  also  Mobley  list,  page  146. 
tSee  also  Mobley  list,  page  146. 


156  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

C.  C.  Dunlap's  well,  in  center  of  Section  17,  Township  20,  Range  2  E.; 
recently  bored;  depth,  over  400  feet;  good  flow. 

Capt.  James  Webb's  well,  11  miles  south  of  Eutaw,  in  Section  20, 
Township  20,  Range  2  E.;  bored  by  Kinniard  &  Sample;  depth,  560  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  flowing  water  at  540  feet;  well  flowed  a  year  and  then 
partly  caved  in,  after  which  the  pump  had  to  be  used.  Record:  Soil, 
0-6  feet;  blue  rock,  6-540  feet:  sand,  540-560  feet. 

Old  wells  renewed— On  the  Thornton  place,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 25,  Township  20,  Range  1  E.,  an  old  well  has  been  rediscovered  which 
now  yields  a  plentiful  supply  of  salty  but  palatable  water. 

On  the  E.  C.  Seldon  place,  in  Section  12,  Township  21,  Range  1  E.,  an 
old  well  was  exposed  by  the  formation  of  a  gully.  The  well  was  found 
plugged  up,  but  when  opened  the  water  stood  6  or  8  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. It  is  near  the  house  and  is  now  used  for  domestic  purposes.  It  is 
supposed  to  have  been  bored  about  1840.  No  one  in  the  vicinity  remem- 
bered anything  about  it. 

In  the  northern  edge  of  Eutaw,  about  ten  years  ago,  a  freshet  exposed 
an  old  well  that  was  bored  about  1845  by  Colonel  Pickens.  This  well  now 
gives  a  good  supply  of  fine  drinking  water. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Eutaw  are  several  old  bored  wells  that  have  been 
converted  into  serviceable  open  wells  by  cutting  off  the  old  wooden  casing 
after  it  has  begun  to  decay,  and  digging  around  it  to  a  sufficient  depth. 

The  well  on  the  Jones  place,  in  the  N.  E,  quarter  Section  8,  Township 
21,  Range  2  E.,  has  the  reputation  of  yielding  a  fine  sulphur  water. 

HAIRSTON. 

About  2  1-2  miles  east  of  Hairston  is  a  well,  owner  unknown,  that  is  re- 
ported to  be  530  feet  deep.  Blue  rock,  170  feet  thick;  water  rises  to  2  1-2 
feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  4  gallons  per  minute. 

BOLIGEE   AND   VICINITY. 

Well  of  Moses  Kay  (colored),  4  miles  north  of  Boligee;  bored  by  Mr. 
Ladd  in  1899;  depth,  142  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  pure  water,  2  gallons  per  min- 
ute, from  bottom;  flows  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  66°;  lime- 
stone occurs  at  40  feet. 

Well  of  Alec.  Alexander  (colored);  bored  by  Mr.  Ladd  in  1899;  depth,  350 
feet;  water,  which  rises  to  5  feet  above  the  surface,  was  obtained  at 
320  feet. 

E.  F.  Bouchelle's  well,  Boligee;  bored  in  1899  by  Mr.  Ladd;  depth,  500 
feet;  first  flowing  water  at  300  feet;  water  rises  to  22  feet  above  the 
ground;  flow  originally  60  gallons,  but  June  20,  1899,  was  40  gallons  per 
minute;  somewhat  salty;  temperature.  70°;  closed  against  sand  at  the 
bottom;  starts  in  Selma  chalk;  water  supply  from  Eutaw  sand. 

H.  T.  Bouchelle's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  31,  Township  21, 
Range  IE.;  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk,  in  1898;  depth,  450  feet;  3-inch  casing; 
closed  against  sand;  flowed  over  pipe  at  10  feet  above  the  ground;  esti- 
mated original  volume,  10  gallons  per  minute;  first  flowing  water  at  350 
feet;  somewhat  salty.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-220  feet;  sand, 
with  occasional  thin  layers  of  rock,  with  water,  220-450  feet. 

Dr.  Hatter's  well,  depth,  250  feet;  flow  small;  starts  in  Selma  chalk 
and  obtains  its  water  from  Eutaw  sands. 

Mrs.  Perry's  well,  100  yards  south  of  station;  bored  by  Mr.  Ladd  in 
1894;  flows  3  feet  above  surface;  yield,  1  3-4  gallons  per  minute  from  a  depth 
of  250  feet;  water  carries  salt  and  sulphur;  temperature,  68°. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  157 

BURTON   HILL. 

Dr.  Perrin's  well,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  13,  Township  20,  Range 
1  E.;  not  flowing;  depth,  544  feet;  temperature,  70°. 

Bullock  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  14,  Township  20,  Range  1  E.; 
flows  small  stream. 

ERIE  AND  VICINITY. 

Well  of  Caleb  Blackman  (colored),  2  1-  miles  southwest  of  Erie,  bored 
by  Morrison  in  1888;  depth,  320  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  water  from  290  feet, 
flowing  10  gallons  per  minute  to  a  height  of  5  feet  above  the  ground; 
temperature,  67°.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-30  feet;  blue  rock,  30-300 
feet;  sand,  water,  blue  rock,  etc.,  300-330  feet. 

Well  of  Deb  Marks  (colored),  3  miles  southwest  of  Erie,  in  Section  30, 
Township  20,  Range  3  E. ;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1898;  depth,  330  feet; 
casing,  3-inch;  water  from  300  feet,  flowing  4  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-30  feet;  blue  rock,  30-300 
feet;  sand  with  water,  300-330  feet. 

FORKLAND   AND   VICINITY. 

Miss  C.  A.  Lewis's  well,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  3, 
Township  19,  Range  2  E.;  bored  in  1901  by  J.  I.  Hawk;  water  soft,  not 
salty;  originally  the  well  gave  a  strong  flow,  but  an  accident  in  inserting 
the  casing  greatly  reduced  it;  present  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  72°. 

E.  S.  Latimer's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  4, 
Township  19,  Range  2  E. ;  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1901;  flows  9  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  74°;  water  salty  but  soft  and  gives  no  crust  in 
boilers;  volume  constant;  water  rises  to  18  feet  above  the  ground;  cased 
throughout,  except  in  the  limestone;  water  used  for  domestic  purposes. 

Williamson   Glover's   well,   Forkland;   depth,   445   feet;   temperature,   72°. 

D.  S.  Brassfield's  well,  at  Landing,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  14, 
Township  19,  Range  2  E. ;  depth,  575  feet;  blue  rock  350  feet  thick;  water 
rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  20  gallons  per  minute. 

W.  B.  Baltzell's  well,  5  miles  west  of  Forkland,  in  the  W.  half  N.  W. 
quarter  Section  11,  Township  19,  Range  1  E.;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1891; 
flow,  8  gallons  per  minute;  .emperature,  72°. 

Emma  R.  Hillman's  well,  on  the  Robert  Taylor  place,  in  the  W.half 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  17,  Township  19,  Range  1  E.;  flows  a  bold  stream; 
water  slightly  salty  but  paiatable. 

Wrells  on  Cole  place,*  in  Section  25,  Township  19,  Range  2  E.;  4  1-2 
miles  north  of  Demopolis,  on  the  Erie  road  (old  wells):  No.  1,  flow,  1 
gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  70°.  Three  others  within  a  radius  of  1 
mile;  all  flow  about  the  same  stream. 


158  DETAILS  I       COASTAL   PLAIN   DIVISION. 

HALE  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  surface  of  Hale  County  is  divided  somewhat  evenly 
between  strata  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  in  the  northeast, 
the  Eutaw  in  the  center,  and  the  Selma  chalk  in  the  southwest. 
Over  all  the^e  rocks  were  spread  the  pebbles'  and  red  loam  of 
the  Lafayette ;  but  this  mantle  has  been  in  great  part  removed 
by  erosion  from  the  area  of  the  chalk,  though  present  over  most 
o-f  the  other  two  divisions.  Where  the  county  is  least  dissected 
by  erosion,  especially  on  the  wide  divides  between  the  streams, 
the  surface  is'  quite  level,  with  a  soil  of  red  loam  underlain  by 
pebbles,  the  two  together  being  from  20  to  25  feet  thick.  Along 
the  dopes  from  this  plateau,  the  underlying  formations  are  ex- 
posed. Wherever  the  Lafayette  pebbles  and  loam  are  present, 
and  very  generally  in  the  two  prevailingly  sandy  formations, 
Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw,  there  is  seldom  any  lack  of  good  water 
to  be  had  from  ordinary  wells  and  from  springs. 

Among  the  many  fine  springs  of  this'  county  a  few  may  be 
mentioned.  The  best  known  of  all  are  the  Green  Springs,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  23,  Township  22,  Range  4  E.,  near 
the  celebrated  school  of  Prof.  Henry  Tutwiler,  about  one-quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  Fivemile  creek.  Here  are  several  bold 
springs  of  the  finest  chalybeate  water.  Farther  down  the  creek, 
4  or  5  miles  from  Green  Springs,  are  the  Linkumdoddy  Springs 
(chalybeate  and  sulphur),  also  well  known. 

ARTESIAN  WELLS. 

In  the  region,  occupied  by  the  Selma  chalk,  the  surface  wa- 
ters as  usual,  are  not  sufficient  for  the  needs'  of  the  people,  and 
recourse  is  had  to  artesian  wells.  A  few  of  these  wells  are  lo- 
cated in  the  Tuscaloosa  area  and  get  their  water  supply  from 
its  sands ;  and  others'  located  near  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Eutaw 
outcrop  also  penetrate  the  water-bearing  sands  of  the  Tusca- 
loosa. Of  this  character  are  the  wells  at  Moundville,  Powers, 
Cypress  Switch,  and  Stewarts,  on  the  Alabama  Great  South- 
ern Railroad.  Others  located  on  the  Eutaw  outcrop,  especially 
those  nearest  to  the  chalk  territory,  are  s'unk  altogether  into 
Eutaw  materials  and  there  obtain  their  water  s'upply. 


WATERS  OF  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  159 

Most  of  the  wells  along  the  line  of  the  Southern  Railway 
between  Akron  and  Selma  are  thus  situated,  e.  g.,  Akron,  Evans, 
Greenwood,  (Wedgworth),  Sawyerville,  and  Greensboro. 
But  the  great  majority  of  the  wells,  especially  in  the  western 
and  southern  parts  of  the  county,  are  located  on  the  Selma 
chalk  outcrop,  though  the  borings  pass  through  that  formation 
and  get  their  water  supply  from  the  underlying  Eutaw  sands1. 

The  following  records  of  the  artesian  wells'  in  Hale  County 
are  given  as  nearly  as  possible  in  their  geographic  order,  from 
north  to  south. 

MOUNDVILLE   AND   VICINITY. 

Thos.  B.  Allen's  well,  near  the  lower  line  of  Tuscaloosa  County,  3 
miles  west  of  Moundville,  on  the  left  bank  of  Black  Warrior  River; 
bored  about  1903;  depth,  275  feet;  first  50  feet,  down  to  a  soft  rock,  cased 
with  3-inch  pipe,  the  rest  to  bottom  with  1  1-4-inch  pipe;  first  overflow  at 
234  feet;  water  rises  above  the  surface,  making  a  noise  like  an  engine 
pumping;  yield,  24  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  63°.  The  water  is 
piped  over  house,  kitchen,  dairy,  and  garden.  An  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges 
is  as  follows: 

Analysis  of  water  from  Thos.  B.  Allen's  well,  near  Moundville. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    11.8 

Sodium  (Na)   295.6 

Magnesium    (Mg)    20.7 

Calcium   (Ca)    109.8 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 1.7 

Chlorine   (Cl)    649.6 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)   .6 

Carbonic  acid   (HCO3)    115.6 

Silica   (SiO2)    15.9 


1221.3 


J.  A.  Elliott  &  Son's  well,  bored  by  Morrison  in  1899;  depth,  600  feet; 
water  at  450  feet,  rose  to  -1  foot  and  pumping  was  necessary  for  five  min- 
utes; on  stopping  the  pumping  the  well  began  to  flow  and  has  since  con- 
tinued; yield,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  Well  is  in  Tuscaloosa 
formation.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-50  feet;  sand  rock,  50-54  feet;  pink 
soapstone,  54-300  feet;  hard  rock,  300-310  feet;  sand,  with  water  and 
occasional  strata  of  hard  rock,  310-600  feet.  The  composition  of  this  water 
as  shown  by  the  analysis  of  Mr.  Hodges,  is  as  follows: 


160  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  J.  A.  Elliott  &  Son's  well,  Moundville. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    3.3 

Sodium    (Na)    2.9 

Magnesium  (Mg)  5.5 

Calcium   (Ca)    23.8 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 2.0 

Chlorine    (Cl)    4.2 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)   4.3 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3) 100.0 

Silica   (Si02)    19.2 


165.9 


R.  L.  Griffin's  well,  bored  by  W.  H.  Martin  in  1903;  depth,  480  feet; 
casing,  70  feet  of  3-inch,  360  feet  of  1  1-4-inch;  water  at  375  feet,  rose  to 
-1  foot;  at  480  feet,  rose  to  16  feet  above  the  ground;  present  yield  10i 
gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°;  water  used  in  several  houses. 
Record:  Clay,  0-70  feet;  blue  rock,  70-375  feet. 

W.  P.  Phifer's  well,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  1,  Township  23,  Range 
4;  bored  in  August,  1903,  by  W.  H.  Martin;  depth,  490  feet;  cased  63  feet 
with  3-inch  casing,  400  feet  with  1  1-4-inch  inner  casing;  flow,  12  gallons 
per  minute.  , 

POWERS    STATION   AND   VICINITY. 

John  Findlay's  well,  Powers;  bored  by  W.  V.  Morrison;  depth,  406 
feet;  casing,  3-inch.;  flow  at  330  feet;'  yield,  7  1-2  gallons  per  minute, 
volume  constant;  water  rises  to  25  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature, 
68°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-500  feet;  blue  rock,  50-250  feet;  sand  and 
water,  w*—  thin  strata  of  rock,  250-406  feet. 

Wells  at  Lock  6  (now  Lock  9),  on  Black  Warrior  River  near  Powers, 
in  fraction  D,  Section  5,  Township  23,  Range  4;  bored  by  Morrison  in 
itfOO,  for  Christie,  Lowe  &  Hey  worth,  contractors:  No.  1,  depth,  316 
feet;  3-inch  casing;  original  volume,  30  gallons;  water  rose  to  34  feet 
above  the  ground;  weak  overflow  at  296  feet;  temperature,  65°.  Record: 
Sand  and  gravel,  0-50  feet;  soapstone,  50-200  feet;  water,  sand,  occasional 
thin  strata  of  rock,  2CO-316  feet.  No.  ^,  is  a  1  1-2-inch  pipe  inside  of 
well  No.  1;  depth,  336  feet;  volume  said  to  be  variable;  flow,  6  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  65°. 

CYPRESS    SWITCH. 

Strudwick  Brothers'  well,  bored  by  W.  J.  Kinnaird  in  1900;  depth,  320 
feet;  diameter,  2  inches;  water  at  300  feet,  rising  to  20  feet  above  the 
ground;  temperature,  67°. 

STEWARTS    A:\D    VICINITY. 

C.  D.  Cummings's  wells:  No.  1,  at  house;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1897; 
depth,  605  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  at  600  feet,  rising  to  35  feet 
above  the  ground;  flow,  (30  feet  above  the  ground),  6  gallons  per  minute; 
volume  constant;  temperature,  66°;  water  hard  (salt  and  sulphur),  Record: 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  161 

Soil  and  clay,  0-30  feet;  pink  soapstone,  30-6CO  feet.  No.  2,  250  yards  north 
of  house;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1900;  depth,  400  feet;  diameter,  3  inches; 
water  at  350  feet,  rising  to  30  feet  above  the  ground;  decidedly  mineral 
(chalybeate),  with  odor  of  hydrogen  sulphide;  record  same  as  in  No.  1. 
No.  3,  300  yards  north  of  house;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1897;  depth,  363 
feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  at  300  feet,  rising  to  30  feet  above  the 
ground;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  volume,  constant;  temperature,  67°; 
water  hard  and  decidedly  mineral  (chalybeate);  record  same  as  in  No.  1. 

W.  H.  Martin's  well,  about  2  1-2  miles  east  of  Stewarts;  bored  by  Martin 
&  Morrison;  depth,  550  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  stands  at  -39 
feet;  level  constant.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-30  feet;  sand  and  gravel, 
30-400  feet;  rock,  400-402  feet;  black  mud,  402-412  feet;  rock,  412-413  feet; 
successive  strata  of  rock  and  black  or  red  mud,  413-550  feet. 

Wells  at  Lock  5  (now  Lock  8),  between  Stewarts  and  Akron;  No.  1, 
drilled  in  1899;  diameter,  3  inches;  depth,  166  feet;  flow,  60  gallons  per  min- 
ute; quality  good;  well  entirely  in  Tuscaloosa  beds.  No.  2,  (owner  un- 
known), reported  to  be  600  feet  deep,  the  water  standing  at  8  feet  above 
the  ground. 

All  the  wells  above  given  are  located  on  and  derive  their  water  from 
the  Tuscaloosa  strata. 


AKROX    AND    VICINITY. 

W.  B.  Inge's  well,  at  me  hotel,  Akron;  depth,  140  feet;  water  level  varies 
from  -6  feet  in  dry  weather  to  0  above  the  ground  in  wet  weather;  for- 
merly overflowed  a  foot  or  more  above  the  surface;  yield,  7  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  68°.  This  well  is  located  on  the  Eutaw  sands, 
but  gets  waater  from  the  underlying  Tuscaloosa  beds. 

Well  of  the  Alabama  Great  Southern  Railroad,  northeast  of  depot  at 
Akron.  This  well  was  bored  about  the  year  1904  or  1905;  no  record  avail- 
able. 

Wells  of  Waller,  Lichtman,  and  Murphy  Land  and  Development  Com- 
pany. 

In  1905  seven  wells  were  bored  by  this  company  on  their  property  at 
Akron.  Depths  varying  from  146  to  305  feet  or  more.  Records  have  been 
obtained  of  only  one  of  these  wells  in  which  three  water-bearing  sands 
were  penetrated  at  depths  of  146  feet,  200  feet,  and  305  feet.  It  being 
thought  that  there  was  marked  difference  in  the  quality  of  these  three 
flows,  each  was  cased  off,  so  that  it  is  separately  delivered  at  the  mouth 
of  the  well,  and  designated  No.  1,  No.  2,  and  No.  3  respectively.  Casing, 
3-inch  down  to  No.  1,  146  feet;  inside  of  this  2-inch  casing  down  to  flow 
No.  2,  200  feet;  and  inside  the  2-inch  casing  305  feet  of  1  1-4-inch  casing 
to  the  lowest  water,  305  feet.  Record;  Soil,  clay  and  gravel,  0-83  feet; 
blue  soapstone,  83-116  feet,  waterbearing  sands  ,116-146  feet,  (yielding  water 
No.  1);  strata  not  recorded,  146-190  feet;  blue  soapstone  190-200  feet;  below 
this  soapstone  good  flow,'  (No.  2);  strata  not  recorded,  200-250  feet; 
pink  soapstone  or  kaolin,  250-305,  below  which  (No.  3,)  a  fine  stream  flow- 
ing about  12  feet  above  the  ground  through  the  well  tools. 

The  waters  from  No.  1  and  No.  2  have  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges 
with  results  given  below.  No.  1  and  No.  2  come  from  Eutaw  sands; 
No.  3  from  the  Tuscaloosa  sands. 


11 


162  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  waters  from  Waller,  Lichtman,  and  Murphy  Land  Co. 
well,  Akron. 


Potassium   (K)    

Parts  p 
43 

er  million. 
3  o 

Sodium  (Na) 

8  1 

6  6 

Lithium   (Li)   

Trace 

Trace 

Magnesium  (Mg)  

3 

3 

Calcium  (Ca)    

7  0 

8  2 

Iron  (Fe)   

13  6 

10  0 

Alumina    (Al2Os) 

1  8 

1  6 

Chlorine   (Cl)    

3  1 

4  1 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO2)    

52 

5  8 

Carbonic  acid  (HCOs) 

68  6 

56  ° 

Silica  (SiO2)  

...                  17  7 

19  6 

141.4         115.1 


From  the  analysis  it  will  be  seen  that  this  is  one  of  the  strongest  chaly- 
beate waters  as  yet  tested  in  the  state. 

Well  at  house  of  W.  E.  Wedgworth,  1  mile  south  of  Akron,  in  the  N. 
W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  22,  Range  4  E.;  bored  by 
Sample  in  1902;  depth,  400  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  stands  at  -15 
feet;  level  constant  under  uomestic  use;"  temperature,  66°. 

O.  V.  Crabtree  &  Go's,  well,  3  miles  west  of  Akron,  on  Alabama  Great 
Southern  Railroad;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1900;  depth,  300  feet; 
casing  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  220  feet,  rising  to  8  feet  above  the  ground. 
Record:  Soil  and  gravel,  0-50  feet;  blue  rock,  50-220  feet;  sand  with  water, 
220-300  feet. 

Judge  Coleman's  wells,  near  Akron,  and  between  Akron  and  Finch's 
Ferry:  No.  1,  1  mile  north  of  the  Crabtree  well  above  described;  bored 
.  y  Martin  in  1904;  depth,  324  feet;  estimated  yield,  25-30  gallons  per  minute; 
contains  iron  and  salt;  temperature,  67°.  No.  2,  75  yards  from  No.  1; 
record  same  in  all  particulars.  No.  3,  on  the  Bartee  place,  j.  1-4  miles  west 
of  the  two  preceding;  bored  in  1903;  depth,  354  feet;  casing,  39  feet,  3-inch; 
estimated  flow,  50  gallons  per  minute.  No.  4,  2  miles  east  of  Finch's 
Ferry;  bored  in  1903;  depth,  278  feet;  casing,  39  feet,  3-inch;  estimated 
flow,  12  gallons  per  minute.  No.  u,  1  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Akron;  bored 
in  190*;  depth,  600  feet;  water  level,  -13  feet.  This  well  is  half  a  milq 
east  of  the  Southern  Railway  track,  and  the  surface  at  the  mouth  of 
the  well  is  estimated  to  be  15  feet  higher  than  tne  track. 

EVANS   STATION  AND  VICINITY. 

B.  S.  Evans's  wells,  Evans  station:  No.  1,  200  yards  from  house,  in 
the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  36,  Township  22,  Range  3  E. ;  bored  by  W.  J. 
Kinnaird  in  1901;  depth,  200  feet;  flowing  water  at  180  feet,  rising  to  8 
feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  30  gallons  per  minute,  constant;  temperature, 
68°.  No.  2,  at  house;  bored  by  Morrison;  depth,  633  feet;  4-inch  casing 
above  40  feet;  water  level  -3  feet;  used  for  domestic  purposes.  Record: 
Sand  and  clay,  0-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-300  feet;  sand,  300-350  feet;  soap- 
stone,  350-633  feet. 

W.  M.  Wedgworth's  wells,  on  McGee  place,  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
east  of  Evans  station;  bored  in  19C4  by  Martin  &  Wyndham:  No.  1,  depth, 
4(/j  feet  water  level,  -1  foot.  No.  2,  100  yards  north  of  No.  1;  depth,  300 
feet;  water  level,  -12  fe-t. 


WATERS  OF  THE:  CRETACEOUS.  163 

W.  M.  Sample's  wells:  No.  1,  at  Evans  station;  bored  by  Kinnaird  & 
Sample  in  1902;  depth,  180  feet,  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  160  feet; 
rising  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  18  gallons  per  minute;  slightly 
diminished  since  first  bored;  temperature,  68°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay, 
0-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-160  feet;  sand  with  water,  160-180  feet.  No.  2,  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  west  of  Evans  station;  bored  oy  Kinniard  &  Sample; 
depth,  180  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  160  feet;  original  volume, 
10  gallons  per  minute,  decreased  slightly;  temperature,  68°.  Record: 
Soil  and  clay,  0-70  feet;  blue  rock,  70-160  feet;  sand  with  water,  160-180 
feet.  No.  3,  one-half  mile  west  of  Evans  station;  bored  by  Kinniard  & 
Cample;  depth,  160  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  140  feet;  orig- 
inal volume,  30  gallons  per  minute;  present  volume,  18  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  67°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-70  feet;  blue  rock,  70-140 
feet;  sand  with  water.  140-160  feet.  No.  4,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  west 
of  Evans  station;  bored  by  Kinniard  &  Sample;  depth,  200  feet;  casing, 
o-inch;  flowing  water  at  160  feet;  volume,  30  gallons  per  minute  (esti- 
mated); temperature,  68°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-50  feet;  blue  rock, 
50-120  feet;  (?),  120-160  feet;  sand,  with  water,  160-200  feet. 

C.  D.  Cummings's  well,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  west  of  Evans  station; 
bored  by  Sample  &  Morrison  in  1902  (?);  depth,  160  feet;  casing,  3-inch; 
water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  3  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-60  feet;  blue  rock,  60-155 
feet;  coal,  155-156  1-2  feet;  sand,  with  water,  156  1-2-160  feet. 

C.  H.  Wedgworth's  well,  about  1  1-4  miles  west  of  Evans  station,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  34,  Township  22,  Range  3  E. ; 
bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1901;  depth,  210  feet;  casing,  3-inch; 
water  at  160  feet,  rising  to  4  feet  above  the  bround;  volume,  24  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-40  feet; 
blue  rock,  40-160  feet;  sand,  with  water,  160-210  feet. 

WEDGWORTH,    (GREENWOOD,  MAYS  STATION.) 

These  are  all  the  same  locality.  The  railroad  station  is 
Mays ;  the  postoffice  was  Greenwood  until  very  recently,  when 
the  name  was  changed  to  Wedgworth. 

W.  M.  Wedgworth's  well,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
11,  Township  21,  Range  3  E.;  bored  by  Sample  &  Morrison  in  1899  or 
1900;  depth,  200  feet;  casing,  4  1-2-inch;  flowing  water  at  140  feet,  rising 
to  10  feet  above  the  ground;  volume  constant;  decided  improvement  in 
the  health  of  users;  yield,  18  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°. 
Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-30  feet;  blue  rock,  30-140  feet;  sand  and  water, 
140-150  feet;  blue  rock,  150-190  feet;  sand  and  water,  190-200  feet.  The 
analysis  of  this  water,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  shows  the  following  composition: 


164  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  W.  M.  Wedgworth's  well,  near  Wedgworth. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    7.6 

Sodium  (Na)   24.6 

Magnesium    (Mg)    2.2 

Calcium   (Ca) 11.9 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 2.6 

Chlorine  (Cl)  10.5 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    ... 5.1 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   88.4 

Silica  (SiO2)  17.2 

170.1 


Well  at  Wedgworth's  store,  on  the  railroad;  bored  in  1904  by  Kinnaird 
&  Sample;  depth,  235  feet;  40  feet  of  3-inch  casing;  first  flowing  water 
at  175  feet;  second  flow,  good  stream,  at  200  feet;  third  water  at  235 
feet,  rising  to  15  feet  above  the  ground. 

Miss  K.  C.  May's  well,  3  miles  north  of  east  of  Wedgworth;  bored  by 
Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902;  depth,  200  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  flowing 
water  at  160  feet;  estimated  volume,  65  gallons  per  minute;  flow  constant; 
temperature,  67°.  Record:  Soil,  etc.,  0-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-160  feet; 
sand,  with  water,  160-200  feet. 

W.  E.  Wedgworth's  wells:  No.  1,  1  mile  east  of  Wedgworth,  in  the  N. 
E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  1,  Township  21,  Range  3  E. ;  bored  by 
Sample  in  1902;  depth,  2iO  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  170  feet, 
rising  to  5  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  18  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 67°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-170  feet;  sand, 
with  water,  170-210  feet.  No.  2,  about  1  1-4  miles  east  of  Wedgworth,  on 
the  old  Wedgworth  place;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground; 
yield,  35  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°;  other  data  similar  to  No.  1. 

Wells  on  Allen  Wilson  place:  No.  "1,  one-half  mile  west  of  Wedgworth; 
flow,  2  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°.  No.  2,  1  1-2  miles  west 
of  Station;  flow,  4  1-2. gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 

Governor  Seay's  well,  3  miles  southwest  of  Wedgworth,  on  the  road 
to  Lock  4  (7);  drilled  about  1897;  depth,  198  feet;  casing,  30  feet,  6-inch; 
water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  15  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66°. 

E.  W.  Degraffenreid's  well,  4  or  5  miles  southwest  of  Wedgworth; 
yield,  2  1-4  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°;  an  old  well,  but  still 
flowing. 

E.  L.  Kimbrough's  wells,  3  to  5  miles  southwest  of  \vedgworth;  No.  1 
("camp  well"),  one-fourth  of  a  mile  east  of  Lock  4  (.7),  in  pasture;  bored 
by  Morrison;  depth,  160  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  flowing  water  at  140 
feet,  rising  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  40  gallons  per  minute; 
flow,  constant;  temperature,  67°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-53  feet;  blue 
rock,  53-130  feet;  sand  and  water,  130-140  feet;  hard  white  rock,  140-160 
feet.  No.  2  ("new-ground  well"),  in  swamp  1  1-4  miles  east  of  Lock  4 
(7r,  originally  bored  by  hand  and  afterwards  (1898)  deepened  by  Morri- 
son to  160  feet;  casing,  30  feet,  6-inch;  estimated  original  flow  at  3  feet 
above  the  ground;  35  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  12  gallons  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  67°.  No.  3,  ("upland-pasture  well"),  bored  by  Morri- 
son in  1898;  depth,  160  feet;  casing,  4  1-2-inch;  flowing  water  at  140  feet; 
estimated  original  yield,  20  gallons  per  minute;  present  yield,  17  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  68°.  No.  4  ("river-field  well"),  bored  by  J.  I. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  165 

Hawk  in  1896;  depth,  185  feet;  flowing  water  at  175  feet;  yield,  12  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  68°.  Record:  Clay  ana  soil,  0-10  feet;  quick- 
sand, 10-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-185  feet.  No.  6  ("house-lot  well"),  bored 
by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1898;  depth,  272  feet;  first  water  at  175  feet;  flowing 
water  at  240  feet;  estimated  original  yield,  18  gallons  per  minute;  present 
yield,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°.  Record:  Sand,  clay,  and 
gravel,  0-25  feet;  blue  rock,  25-175  feet;  remainder  unrecorded.  No.  6 
("mill  well"),  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk;  yield,  17  gallons  per  minute;  tempe- 
rature, 68°. 

Wells  of  Madison  Jones,  Jr.,  No.  1,  at  Mays  station  (Wedgworth 
Postoffice);  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1899;  depth,  216  feet;  casing,  6-inch; 
flow,  60  gallons  per  minute;  volume  constant;  temperature,  69°;  well  is 
entirely  within  the  Eutaw  sands.  Record:  Clay,  0-12  feet;  blue  rock, 
1.I-170  feet;  sand  and  water,  with  thin  strata  of  blue  rock,  170-216  feet. 
iNo.  2,  in  pasture  opposite  the  house,  half  a  mile  south  of  the  station; 
bored  170  feet  by  hand,  and  completed  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1899;  depth,  285 
feet  (256  feet  according  to  Mr.  Jones);  casing,  5-inch;  flows  22  gallons 
per  minute;  volume  constant;  temperature,  69°.  The  water  from  this 
well  shows  the  following  composition  in  the  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  of  Madison  Jones,  Jr.,  near  Mays  Station. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    3.9 

Sodium    (Na)    51.8 

Magnesium  (Mg)   2.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    *  12.3 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 2.5 

Chlorine    (Cl)    38.4 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  5.0 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   121.2 

Silica  (SiO2) ' 27.8 


265.5 


LOCK  4  (NOW  7.) 

Well  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  Section  18,  Township  21,  Range  3  E.; 
bored  by  Morrison  in  1900;  depth,  280  feet;  casing,  40  feet,  3-inch;  first 
flowing  water  at  200  feet;  estimated  original  yield,  35  gallons  per  min- 
ute; present  yield,  18  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  60°;  water  rises 
to  24  feet  above  the  ground.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-50  feet;  blue 
rock,  50-160  feet;  sand  with  water  alternating  with  thin  strata  (10-12  feet( 
of  blue  rock,  160-180  feet.  Well  No.  2,  on  west  bank  of  river;  bored  by 
N.  A.  Yuille;  covered  by  water  in  times  of  flood;  data  not  obtainable. 

The  analysis  of  the  water  from  well  No.  1,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is  as  fol- 
lows: 


166  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  No.  1,  at  Lock  4  (now  Lock  7.) 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    4.5 

Sodium  (Na)   444.8 

Magnesium    (Mg)    2.7 

Calcium   (Ca)    14.9 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  Al-Oo) 1.6 

Chlorine   (Cl)    481.9 

Sulphuric     acid  (SO4)   4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   413.6 

Silica  (SiO2)   13.2 

1377.6 


SAWYERVILLE    AND    VICINITY. 

E.  L.  Kimbrough  has  two  deep  wells  at  Sawyerville,  bored  by  J.  I. 
Hawk. 

Jack  Monette's  wells,  3  miles  west  of  Sawyerville:  No.  1,  at  mill; 
bored  by  Sample  &  Morrison  in  1897;  depth,  640  feet;  diameter,  3  inches; 
water  stands  at  -8  feet;  level  constant.  Record:  Sand,  0-10  feet;  blue 
rock,  10-450  feet;  sand  and  water,  with  thin  strata  of  blue  rock,  450-600 
feet;  pink  soapstone,  600-640  feet.  No.  2,  at  house;  bored  by  Sample  in 
1901;  depth,  440  feet;  flowing  water  from  bottom;  yield,  17  gallons  per  min- 
ute; volume  constant;  temperature,  70°.  No.  3,  at  mill;  bored  by  Sample; 
depth,  440  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  stands  at  constant  height  of 
-10  feet.  No.  4,  at  mill;  bored  by  Smith;  depth,  435  feet;  diameter,  3 
inches;  water  stands  at  constant  height  of  -10  feet.  No.  5,  one-fourth 
of  a  mile  east  of  Lock  3  (now  Lock  6);  bored  by  Smith;  depth,  360  feet; 
casing,  1  1-2-inch;  flows  about  4  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 
No.  6,  one-half  mile  northeast  of  Lock  3  (now  Lock  6);  drilled  by  Smith; 
data  lacking.  Mr.  Monette  has  also  three  overflowing  wells  at  old  Erie, 
of  which  records  were  not  obtained. 

T.  J.  Yancey's  well,  3  miles  nearly  south  of  Sawyerville,  in  Section  13, 
Township  20,  Range  3  E.;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902;  depth, 
315  feet;  casing,  30  feet,  3-inch;  first  overflow  at  280  feet,  weak;  water 
rises  to  5  feet  above  the  ground;  yield  15  gallons  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 67°.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-30  feet;  blue  rock,  -30-280  feet; 
sand  and  water,  280-315  feet. 

ERIE. 

Well  at  Lock  3  (now  Lock  6),  Black  Warrior  River,  Erie  Landing,  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  16,  Township  20,  Range  3  E. ;  bored  by  Kin- 
naird &  Sample  in  1903;  depth,  520  feet;  casing,  20  feet,  3-inch;  first  water 
at  300  feet,  stood  at  -35  feet;  second  water,  at  400  feet,  stood  at  -8  feet; 
at  400  feet  the  water  flowed  over  for  two  days;  yield,  3  gallons  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  68°  Record:  Lime  rock,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-300 
feet;  alternating  sand  and  blue  rock,  300-400  feet;  pink  soapstone,  400-500 
feet.  The  last  is  probably  Tuscaloosa  formation,  the  first  400  feet  being 
Eutaw  sands  and  rock. 


WATERS   OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  167 


GREENSBORO   AND   VICINITY. 


The  city  of  Greensboro  has  several  4-inch  wells  about  432 
feet  deep,  situated  in  a  depression  about  48  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  court-house.  The  water  stands  at  -30  feet,  and  the  ag- 
gregate yield  of  the  wells  by  air  lift  is  no  gallons  per  minute. 
Mr.  C.  E.  Waller  states  that  in  the  borings  ten  water-bearing 
strata  were  parsed,  indurated  ledges  about  10  feet  apart  being 
above  and  below  the  water-bearing  sands.  The  formation 
throughout  is  Eutaw.  The  composition  of  the  water  from  the 
city  supply  is  as  follows,  the  analysis  being  by  Mr.  Hodges : 

Analysis  of  water  from  wells  of  Greensboro  city  waterworks. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium  (K)  5.1 

Sodium  (Na)   24.9 

Magnesium  (Mg)  13  1 

Calcium   (Ca)    21.8 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  AloO3)  5*3 

Chlorine    (Cl)    60.4 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)    4.8 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   95'fi 

Silica  (SiO2) 4.6 


235.6 


Mr.  William  Withers  states  that  borings  have  been  made  in 
this  basin  to  depths  of  from  75  to  1,600  feet.  The  s-hallow 
wells  furnish  an  ample  domestic  supply,  while  those  from  500 
to  800  feet  deep  give  abundant  water  for  industrial,  manufac- 
turing, and  irrigatiuon  purposes. 

J.  M.  P.  Otts's  well,  Greensboro,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter 
Section  17,  Township  20,  Range  5  E.;  bored  by  Morrison  in  1903;  depth, 
157  feet;  casing,  36  feet,  3-inch;  water  stands  at  -7  feet.  Record:  Soil, 
0-23  feet;  blue  rock,  23-55  feet;  sand  and  water,  55-115  feet;  blue  rock, 
115-157  feet. 

Blount  &  Ward's  well,  bored  by  Morrison  in  1902;  depth,  500  feet; 
casing,  3-inch;  water  stands  at  -13  feet;  well  has  never  been  used. 
Record:  Clay,  0-30  feet;  blue  rock,  30-300  feet;  sand  and  thin  strata  of 
blue  rock,  300-425  feet;  pink  soapstone,  425-500  feet. 

Cotton  Oil  Company's  well,  300  yards  from  Blount  &  Ward  well;  bored 
by  Morrison  in  1902;  depth,  500  feet;  casing1,  30  feet,  6-inch;  water  stands 
at  -13  feet;  reported  to  carry  'much  sulphur;  used  in  boilers  at  mill; 
gives  no  crust;  supply  reported  inexhaustible.  Record:  Clay,  0-30  feet; 
blue  rock,  30-300  feet;  sand,  with  occasional  strata  of  blue  rock,  10 
inches  to  3  feet  thick,  300-500  feet. 

Lee  Otts's  well,  on  Jenkins  place,  about  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Greens- 
boro, in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  30,  Township  20,  Range  5  E.;  bored 


168  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

by  Morrison  in  1903;  depth,  600  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  water  stand  at  -7 
feet;  well  abandoned.  Record:  Sand,  0-22  feet;  blue  rock,  22-400  feet; 
pink  soapstone,  400-600  feet.  Water  is  from  a  stratum  of  sand  in  the 
blue  rock. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  county,  west  and  southwest  of 
Greensboro,  in  the  prairie  region,  are  to  be  found  many  of  the 
old-time  rich  plantations.  This  region,  as  has  been  shown, 
is  deficient  in  shallow-water  supply.  From  the  beginning  re- 
course has'  been  had  to  artesian  borings,  and  new  wells  are  con- 
stantly being  put  down  as  necessity  arises.  The  following  re- 
cords will  show  how  these  borings  are  concentrated  about  the 
older  settlements  and  plantations. 

Cheney  Borden's  well,  6  miles  west  of  Greensboro;  bored  by  Kinnaird 
&  Sample  in  1901;  depth,  400  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  stands  at 
-40  feet;  used  two  months  and  abandoned. 

MILLWOOD     AND     VICINITY. 

Wiley  Tunstall's  wells:  No.  1,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  35,  Town- 
ship 20,  Range  3  E.,  at  Millwood,  300  yards  northwest  of  the  house, 
across  pond;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1901;  depth,  330  feet;  casing, 
6-inch;  flowing  water  obtained  at  300  feet;  original  yield  (estimated), 
40  gallons  per  minute;  present  yield,  30  gallons  per  minute,  flowing  3 
feet  above  surface;  temperature,  66°.  Record:  Soil,  0-40  feet;  blue  rock; 
40-300  feet;  sand  and  water,  300-330  feet.  No.  2,  400  yards  north  of  house; 
bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  to  300  feet  in  1901  and  deepened  to  500  feet 
in  1902;  depth,  500  feet;  casing,  6-inch;  flow  in  1902,  75  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°;  reported  to  have  mineral  properties.  Record:  Soil, 
0-40  feet;  blue  rock,  40-240  feet;  sand,  water,  etc.,  240-500  feet.  No.  3,  70 
yards  northwest  of  mill  house;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902; 
depth,  500  feet;  casing,  4  1-2  inch;  flowing  water  at  260  feet,  rising  to  2 
feet  above  the  ground;  yield,  75  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°. 
Record.  Soil,  0-50  feet;  blue  rock,  50-260  feet;  sand  and  water,  with  thin 
strata  of  blue  rock,  260-500  feet.  No.  4,  80  yards  west  of  house;  bored  by 
Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902;  depth,  500  feet;  casing,  4  1-2-inch;  first  flow- 
ing water  at  260  feet;  present  yield,  at  2  feet  above  the  ground,  75  gal- 
lons per  minute;  temperature,  68°  Record:  Soil,  0-50  feet;  blue  rock, 
50-260  feet;  sand  and  water,  with  thin  strata  of  blue  rock,  260-500  feet. 
No.  5,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  vV.  quarter  Section  33,  Township  20,  Range 
4  E.,  on  Jeffrey  place  (pasture  well);  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in 
1902;  depth  unknown;  diameter  3  inches;  present  yield,  9  gallons  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  69°.  No.  6.  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section 
29,  Township  20,  Range  4  E.,  on  Jeffrey  place,  near  George  Taylor's 
store,  3  miles  east  of  Millwood;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902; 
depth,  360  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  300  feet,  rising  to  2  feet 
above  the  ground;  estimated  original  volume,  6  gallons  per  minute; 
present  volume,  3  gallons  per  minute  (much  leakage);  temperature,  70°. 
No.  7,  at  Grindle  Pond,  2  miles  north  of  Millwood,  in  ^ection  23,  Town- 
ship 20,  Range  3  E. ;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample  in  1902;  depth,  200 
feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flowing  water  at  120  feet;  present  yield,  38  gallons 
per  minute  at  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  66°. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


GEOLOGICAL    SURVEY    OK    ALAHAMA.  UNDERGROUND    WATER    RESOURCES.       PLATE    XV. 


A.    WELL  ON  CRASSDALE  PLANTATION,  (J.  O.  BANKS),  NEAR  EUTAW,  GREEN  COUNTY. 


B.    PICKENS  WELL,  NEAR  GREENSBORO,  HALE  COUNTY. 


WATERS  01?  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  369 

Wells  Nos.  i  to  4  of  Colonel  Tunstall  at  Millwood  Landing, 
above  described,  have  been  recently  bored  to  take  the  place  of 
old  wells  which  formerly  supplied  water  for  a  mill.  Some  of 
the  old  wells  are  still  in  use,  but  are  not  included  in  the  above 
notes.  One  large  well  on  the  river  bank  has  lately  been  de- 
stroyed by  the  caving  of  the  bank.  Reports  of  the  depths  of 
the  ante-bellum  wells  are  generally  exaggerated,  as1  is  shown 
by  recent  borings  in  the  same  localities. 

Pickens  well,  about  2  miles  southeast  of  Millwood,  in  the 
N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  20,  Range 
4  E.,  on  the  old  Samuel  Pickens  place ;  one  of  the  largest  wells 
in  the  State;  diameter  of  casing,  7  1-4  inches;  water  rises  in  a 
solid  stream  9  inches  above  the  top  of  the  pipe ;  estimated  flow, 
850  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72°.  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  this  well  are  four  or  five  others  of  varying  capacity, 
some  of  them  extremely  bold,  others'  weak.  No  reliable  re- 
cords are  obtainable,  but  it  is  reported  that  the  wells  have  depths 
varying  from  450  to  850  feet,  the  former  figure  being  probably 
nearer  correct.  PI.  XV.  B.  shows  the  Pickens  well  in  its  pres- 
ent state. 

M.  H.  Murphy's  wells:  No.  1,  1  1-2  miles  east  of  big  Pickens  well, 
in  Section  5,  Township  19,  Range  4;  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1903;  depth, 
502  feet;  casing,  2-inch;  flow,  11  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  70° 
i>o.  2,  (old  well,  cleaned  out  by  Hawk),  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quar- 
ter Section  8,  Township  19,  Range  4;  depth,  497  feet;  casing,  2-inch. 

Well  at  Lock  2  (5),  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  25,  Township  19,  Range 
3  E. ;  drilled  in  1903;  depth,  400  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  weak  overflow  from 
depth  of  300  feet;  estimated  yield,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
67°.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock,  20-280  feet;  sand  with 
water,  280-400  feet. 

CEDARVILLE     AND     VICINITY. 

A.  C.  Jones's  well,  Cedarville,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  .^ection  15,  Township 
19,  Range  4;  old  well,  not  flowing. 

Kelly  Brothers'  we'll,  Cedarville,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter 
Section  15,  Township  19,  Range  4;  bored  by  Ben  Rainey  about  1873; 
depth,  about  275  feet;  flow  4  gallons  per  minute;  supply  constant,  water 
rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  68°. 

Tom  Ruffin's  wells:  No.  1,  on  O'Donnell  place,  1  mile  northwest  of 
Cedarville;  flow,  8  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°;  old  well.  No. 
2,  200  yards  north  of  No.  1;  in  decay,  but  still  flows.  No.  3,  1  1-4  miles 
northwest  of  Cedarville,  in  Section  16,  Township  19,  Range  4;  flow,  5 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature, 
67°.  No.  4,  1  1-2  miles  northwest  of  Cedarville,  in  Section  16,  Township 
19,  Range  4;  no  record.  These  wells  are  located  about  2  miles  southeast 


170  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

of  the  big  Pickens  well.  No.  5,  Cedarville,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W. 
quarter,  Section  32,  Township  19,  Range  4;  flows  2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°. 

A.  B.  Gewin's  well,  Cedarville,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 32,  Township  19,  Range  4;  does  not  overflow;  windmill  used;  old  well. 

Sledge  &  Leonard's  well,  Cedarville,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quar- 
ter Section  22,  Township  19,  Range  4;  does  not  flow;  pump  used;  water 
stands  at  -5  feet;  temperature,  67° 

Sander's  mill  well,  Cedarville,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 22,  Township  19,  Range  4;  water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground; 
flow,  2  1-2  gallons  per  minute. 

Peyton  Agnew's  well,  1  mile  west  of  Cedarville,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter 
N.  E.  quarter  Section  21,  Township  19,  Range  4;  old  well;  flow,  1  gallon 
per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 

Kelly  Brothers'  well,  1  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Cedarville,  in  Section 
28,  Township  19  Range  4;  bored  in  1902;  depth,  175  feet;  flow,  2  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  65°. 

WHITSITT    AND    VICINITY. 

Wells  on  Egypt  place:  No.  1.  1  1-2  miles  west  of  Whitsitt,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  13,  Township  19,  Range  4;  flowing;  in  decay; 
temperature,  66°.  No.  2,  2  1-2  miles  west  of  Whitsitt,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  13,  Township  19,  Range  4;  estimated  flow, 
10  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  3,  2  1-4  miles  west  of  Whit- 
sitt, in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter,  Section  13,  Township  19,  Range  4; 
flow,  15  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  No.  4,  2  1-4  miles  west  of 
Whitsitt,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  24.  Township  19, 
Range  4;  bored  by  Ben  Rainey  in  1902;  depth,  125  feet;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  67°;  no  further  data  obtainable.  No.  5,  2  miles 
west  of  Whitsitt,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  13,  Township 
19,  Range  4;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  These  are 
all  old  wells. 

Wells  on  Knight  place:  No.  1,  3  1-2  miles  south  of  Greensboro,  near 
center  of  Section  7,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  6  gallons  per  minute; 
water  level,  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  67°  No.  2,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  7,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  4  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  67  1-2°.  No.  3,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quar- 
ter Section  7,  Township  19,  Range  5;  temperature,  66  1-2°;  flows,  but  in 
decay.  No.  4,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  18,  Township 
19,  Range  5;  flow,  4  gallons  per  minute;  water  level,  3  feet  above  the 
ground;  temperature,  67°.  No.  5,  no  record.  These  are  old  wells. 

Wells  on  Peck  place:  No.  1,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 5,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute  at  4  feet  above 
the  ground;  temperature,  66°.  No.  2  near  center  of  Section  5,  Township 
19,  Range  5;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Both  old  wells. 

George  Erwin's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  one-half  mile  west  of  Whitsitt, 
in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Sectiqn  20,  Township  19,  Range  5; 
flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  71°.  No.  2,  one-half  mile  north 
of  west  of  Whitsitt,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  20,  Town- 
ship 19,  Range  5;  does  not  flow.  No.  3,  one  mile  north  of  west  from  Whit- 
sitt, in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  19,  Range 
5;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°. 

Wells  on  Mrs.  Tunstall's  place:  No.  1,  one-half  mile  east  of  Whitsitt, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.W.  quarter  Section  21,  Township  19,  Range  5: 


WATERS  OF  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  171 

flow,  one-quarter  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  67  1-2°.  No.  2,  1  mile 
north  of  No.  1,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  21,  Township 
19.  Range  5;  flows  one-quarter  gallon  per  minute.  Both  old  wells. 

Mrs.  C.  L.  Karnegie's  well,  at  Whitsitt,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quar- 
ter Section  21,  Township  19,  Range  5;  old  well;  no  longer  flows. 

Well  on  Karnegie  place,  1  1-2  miles  south  of  Whitsitt;  owned  by  Mr. 
White,  of  Newberne;  flow,  two-thirds  of  a  gallon  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 66°. 

Wells  on  "Long  Farm"  place,  near  center  of  Section  29,  Township 
19;  Range  5:  No.  1,  1  mile  southwest  of  Whitsitt;  in  decay;  water  stands 
at  surface.  No.  2,  in  decay.  Both  old  wells. 

Wells  on  Harris  Tinker  place:  No.  1,  1  mile  south  of  Whitsitt,  in  the 
N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  one- 
half  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  No.  2,  1  mile  south  of  Whit- 
sitt, in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range 
5;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute.  No.  3,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W. 
quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range  5;  well  now  in  decay.  No.  4, 
N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range  5;  in  decay. 
No.  5,  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range  5; 
flow,  one-fifth  of  a  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  All  these  are 
old  wells. 

Wells  on  Mrs.  Mattie  Groom's  place,  in  Section  22,  Township  19,  Range 
5;  two  old  wells  that  flow  about  two-thirds  of  a  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  67°. 

Wells  on  Mauldin  place:  No.  1,  1  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Whitsitt,  in 
Section  27,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  one-third  of  a  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  67°.  No.  2,  1  1-2  miles  south  of  Whitsitt,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  33,  Township  19,  Range  5;  flow,  one-half 
gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Both  old  wells. 

NEWBERNE  AND  VICINITY. 

Well  on  Irvin  plantation,  2  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Newberne;  bored  by 
J.  I.  Hawk  in  1899;  depth,  300  feet;  water  stands  at  -27  feet;  quality  good. 
No  blue  rock  encountered;  well  starts  in  the  Selma  chalk;  water  supply 
from  Eutaw  sands. 

M.  S.  Heron's  wells:  No.  1,  one-half  mile  northwest  of  Newberne,  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  24,  Township  19,  Range  5; 
bored  by  Hawk  in  1900;  depth,  300  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  water  stands  at 
-35  feet;  temperature,  67°.  No.  2,  1  mile  northwest  of  Newberne;  bored 
in  1896;  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  14,  Township  19,  Range  5;  depth,  350 
feet;  does  not  flow. 

R.  L.  Bennett's  wells:  No.  1,  near  Newberne,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  W. 
quarter  Section  24,  Township  19,  Range  5;  bored  by  Andrew  Clark  in 
1878;  depth,  425  feet;  cased  250  feet  with  5-inch  casing;  first  water,  at  105 
feet,  stood  at  -40  feet;  second  water  at  165  feet,  stood  at  ?  feet;  third 
water,  at  225  feet,  stood  at  -16  feet;  fourth  water,  at  350  feet,  stood  at 
-30  feet.  No.  2,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Newberne,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  Section  24,  Township  19,  Range  5;  bored  by  Andrew  Clark  in 
1878;  depth,  50  feet;  flows  1-inch  stream. 

A.  E.  Walker's  well,  Newberne,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  25,  Township  19,  Range  5;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1903;  depth,  300  feet. 

F.  S.  Morrisette's  well,  Newberne,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  25,  Township  19;  Range  5;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1903;  depth,  300 
feet. 


172  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  on  F.  S.  Morrisette  plantation,  where  P.  Morrisette  lives;  bored 
by  Hawk  in  August,  1903;  depth,  400  feet;  casing,  20  feet  4-inch;  first 
water  at  300  feet,  rose  2  feet  above  surface;  second  water,  at  400  feet, 
rises  10  feet  above  surface;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  400  feet; 
original  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  18  feet;  thickness 
of  blue  rock,  250  feet. 

Well  of  Farmers'  Gin  and  Warehouse  Company,  bored  by  Hawk; 
depth,  485  feet;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  starts  in  Selma  chalk;  water 
in  Eutaw  sands. 

W.  H.  Landers's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  -24, 
Townsend  19,  Range  5;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1903;  depth,  300  feet;  casing, 
20  feet,  3-inch;  first  water,  at  165  feet,  stood  at  -42  feet;  second  water, 
at  300  feet,  at  -30  feet.  Record  same  as  J.  H.  Turpin's  well  below. 

Dr.  J.  Huggins  reports  that  he  has  a  well  that  does  not  overflow;  water 
stands  at  -23  feet;  impregnated  with  iron,  sulphur,  and  lime.  He  also 
reports  the  "Duffin  saline  well,"  in  Newberne,  formerly  owned  by  his 
father,  now  the  property  of  S.  Hardenbergh.  This  is  an  old  well;  the 
water  was  much  used  before  the  war,  being  thought  good  for  indigestion. 
The  analysis,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is  as  follows: 

Analysis  of  water  from   S.  Hardenbergh's  well,  Newberne. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    24.8 

Sodium  (Na)   266.0 

Magnesium     (Mg)     39.6 

Calcium  (Ca)  589.2 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O->,  A1->O3)  12.2 

Chlorine   (Cl)    ". 720.1 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  760.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   528.6 

Silica  (SiOo)   43.4 


2984.; 


Dr.  Huggins  says  there  are  four  very  large  flowing  wells  near  New- 
berne which  yield  about  250  gallons  per  minute.  He  estimates  about  200 
artesian  wells  about  Newberne,  most  of  them  yielding  from  1  to  20 
gallons  per  minute. 

J.  J.  Hogue's  well,  Newberne,  400  yards  southwest  of  post-office,  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  25,  Township  19,  Range  5; 
bored  by  Hawk  in  1900;  depth,  300  feet.  Record  same  as  that  of  J.  H. 
Turpin.s  well. 

J.  H.  Turpin's  well,  1  mile  from  Newburne,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 25,  Township  19,  Range  5;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1901;  depth,  350  feet; 
casing,  20  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  110  feet;  second  water  at  320  feet; 
overflows;  original  flow,  16  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 


WATERS   OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  173 

Record  of  J.  H.  Turpin's  well,  1  mile  from  Newberne. 


Feet. 

Clay   0  —    20 

Blue  rock   20—    95 

Sand   and   soapstone    .-.95  —  105 

Hard  rock  105  —  107 

Soapstone    107  —  167 

Hard   rock    167  —  169 

Soapstone  169  —  250 

Sand  and  soapstone   250  —  300 

Soapstone    300  —  350 


Andrew  J.  Moore's  wells:  No.  1,  at  residence,  near  Newberne;  bored 
by  Hawk  in  1903;depth,  500  feet;  cased  with  2-  and  4-inch  pipe;  water 
stands-  at  -20  feet;  first  water  at  250  feet;  second  water  at  340  feet;  third 
water  at  420  feet;  fourth  water  at  500  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  175 
feet;  depth  to  blue  rock,  20  feet.  No.  2,  in  lot,  2  1-2  miles  south  of  New- 
berne; bored  by  Hawk  in  1900;  depth,  5CO  feet;  flow,  6  gallons  per  minute; 
blue  rock  was  encountered  at  12  feet  and  continued  to  137  feet;  well 
starts  in  Selma  chalk;  water  supply  from  Eutaw  sands.  No.  3,  bored 
by  Hawk  in  1903. 

D.  L.  Moore's  wells,  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk:  No.  1,  depth  300  feet;  flow, 
28  gallons  per  minute.  No.  2,  depth,  410  feet;  flow  35  gallons  per  minute. 

Pollard  Brothers'  well,  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1903;  depth,  probably 
300  feet  or  more;  water  stands  at  -18  feet;  blue  rock  at  22  feet,  80  feet 
thick. 

W.  R.  Tubbs's  well,  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1900;  depth,  300  feet;  water 
stands  at  -28  feet;  blue  rock  at  20  feet,  85  feet  thick. 

R.  A.  White's  well,  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1900;  depth,  300  feet;  water 
stands  at  -22  feet;  blue  rock  at  20  feet,  85  feet  thick. 

R.  A.  White  &  Co.'s  well,  at  store,  one-quarter  of  a  mile  north  of 
depot,  Newberne;  bored  by  Hawk  in  June,  1903;  depth,  300  feet;  casing, 
2u  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  165  feet,  rising  to  -40  feet;  second  water 
at  285  feet,  rising  to  -30  feet;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  285  feet; 
pump  used;  depth  to  blue  rock,  19  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  85  feet. 

Well  at  Newberne  (owner  unknown),  reported  depth,  475  feet;  water 
rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  flows  30  gallons  per  minute;  blue  rock 
8u  feet  thick. 

W.  P.  Nelson's  well.  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Newberne;  bored  by  Hawk; 
depth,  500  feet;  flow,  8  gallons  per  minute;  blue  rock  at  20  feet,  200  feet 
thick. 

Carter  Washington's  well,  in  lot,  4  miles  southwest  of  Newberne; 
bored  by  Hawk  in  August,  1903;  depth,  400  feet;  casing  20  feet,  4-inch; 
first  water  at  300  feet,  rising  to  -2  feet;  second  water  at  400  feet,  rising 
to  5  feet  above  the  ground;  depth  to  principal  supply,  400  feet;  flow  6 
gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  16  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock, 
240  feet. 

Ned  Pickens's  well,  4  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Newberne;  bored  in 
October,  1900,  by  J.  I.  Hawk;  depth,  300  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  first 
water,  at  200  feet,  flowed  2  feet  above  surface;  second  water,  at  300 
feet,  flowed  12  feet  above  surface;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  260 
feet;  original  flow,  15  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  16  feet. 


174  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

SUNSHINE. 

Well  (owner  unknown),  reported  to  have  been  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  to  a 
depth  of  300  feet;  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute;  blue  rock  at  18  feet, 
thickness  185  feet. 


LANEVILLE  AND   VICINITY. 

I.  F.  Lewis's  well,  2  miles  southwest  of  Laneville;  bored  by  Hawk  in 
June,  1901;  depth,  710  feet;  casing,  375  feet,  2-inch  and  4-inch;  first  water, 
at  350  feet,  rose  to  -18  feet;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  690  feet; 
overflows;  depth  to  blue  rock,  16  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  325  feet. 

Garber  Brothers'  (new)  wells:  No.  1,  1  mile  south  of  Laneville;  flow, 
4  gallons  per  minute;  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  74°. 
No.  2,  located  one-half  mile  north  of  No.  1;  flows  one-half  gallon  per  min- 
ute; rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  73°.  No.  3,  flows  10 
gallons  per  minute;  stands  at  surface;  temperature,  66°.  No.  4,  1  mile 
west  of  No.  3;  flow,  8  gallons  per  minute;  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground; 
temperature,  66°. 

Well  on  Rugh  place,  3  miles  northwest  of  Laneville,  owned  by  W.  B. 
Inge,  of  Greensboro;  bored  by  Hawk  in  July,  1901;  depth,  400  feet;  casing 
18  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  250  feet,  rising  2  feet  above  surface;  second 
water  at  390  feet,  rising  12  feet  above  surface;  depth  to  principal  water 
supply,  390  feet;  original  flow,  15  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock, 
16  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  200  feet. 

Wells  on  Hermitage  place,  4  miles  north  of  Laneville,  owned  by  Lewis; 
4  old  wells. 

Wells  on  "Bleak  House  place,"  owned  by  Mrs.  Ivey  Lewis  estate:  No. 
1,  near  center  of  Section  12,  Township  18,  Range  4;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per 
minute;  rises  to  2  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  68°.  No.  2,  in  the  N. 
W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  7,  Township  18,  Range  5;  flow,  4  gal- 
lons per  minute;  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  69°. 
No.  3,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  12,  Township  18,  Rang* 
4;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  tempera- 
ture, 69°.  No.  4,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  section  12,  Township  18,  Range  4; 
flow,  4  gallons  per  minute;  rises  to  5  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature, 
67°  No.  5,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  12,  Township  18, 
Range  4;  flows  weak  stream.  These  are  au  old  wells. 

GALLION  AND  VICINITY. 

Wells  on  "Oak  Grove  place,"  3  or  4  miles  northeast  of  Gallion,  owned 
by  Ivey  F.  Lewis,  formerly  owned  by  C.  W.  Collins:  No.  1,  in  the  N.  E. 
quarter  Section  15,  Township  18,  Range  4;  depth,  2CO  feet;  casing,  3-inch; 
flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  tem- 
perature, 68°.  No.  2,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  11,  Township  18,  Range 
4;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°.  No.  3,  S.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 11,  Township  18,  Range  4;  no  record.  No.  4,  N.  E.  quarter  Section 
15,  Township  18,  Range  4;  depth,  700  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flow,  one-quarter 
of  a  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  5  feet  above  ground;  temperature, 
70°.  No.  5,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter,  Section  15,  Township  18,  Range  4;  depth 
900  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  5  feet 
above  the  ground;  temperature,  70°.  No.  6,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section 
10,  Township  18,  Range  4;  flow,  one-half  of  a  gallon  per  minute;  water 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  175 

rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  68°.  No  7,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  Section  14,  Township  18;  Range  4;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  70°.  No.  8,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  10,  Township  18, 
Range  4;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Well  on  "Simon  Tract  place,"  owned  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Browder,  in  Section 
9,  Township  18,  Range  4;  flow,  one-third  gallon  per  minute;  temperature, 
68°. 

Mrs.    Collins's  wells   (old),   in  the  S.    W.   quarter  N.   E.   quarter  Section 

17,  Township  18,  Range  4:    No.  1,  flow,  4u  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises 
to  8  feet  above  the  ground,  temperature,  72°.     Two  other  wells,  one-quar- 
ter and  one-half  mile  North  of  No.  1,  flowing  1  or  2  gallons  per  minute. 

C.  W.  Collins's  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  17. 
Township  18.  Range  4;  old  well;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  water 
rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  €8  1-2°. 

Mrs.  Julian  Collins's  well,  2  miles  northeast  of  Gallion,  in  the  S.  W. 
quarter  Section  19,  Township  18,  Range  4;  old  well;  flows  good  stream. 

C.  W.  Collins's  wells,  1  1-2  to  2  miles  northeast  of  Gallion  (old  wells): 
No  1,  at  house,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  27,  Township 

18,  Range  4;   depth,   1200  feet;    formerly   flowed;   water  now   stands   at  -8 
feet.     No.  2,  at  house;  bored  in  1891;  depth,  1500  feet;  overflow  from  about 
750   feet;   thickness    of   lime   rock,   250   feet;    at   1250   feet   encountered   red 
stratum.     No.  3,  3  miles  northeast  from  Gallion,  in  Section  22,  Township 
18,  Range  4;  depth,  600  or  700  feet;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
72°;  thickness  of  lime  rock,  250  feet.     No.  4,  3  miles  northeast  of  Gallion, 
in    Section   23,    Township  18,   Range   4;    uepth,   600  or  700   feet;   flow,   7   1-2 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature, 
71°.     No.  5,   in   Section  15,   Township  18,   Range  4;   depth,   600  or   700   feet; 
flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 

B.  M.  Allen's  wells,  3  miles  east  of  Gallion;  two  old  wells,  no  longer 
flowing.  Mr.  Allen  has  recently  had  other  wells  bored  of  which  records 
have  not  been  obtained. 

vVells  on  Dunlap  place:  No.  1,  1  1-2  miles  north  of  Prairieville;  flow, 
20  gallons  per  minute.  No.  2,  1  mile  southwest  of  No.  1;  flow,  2  gallons 
per  minute. 

FAUXSDALE    AND    VICINITY. 

Well  on  Madden  place,  3  miles  north  of  Faunsdaie,  owned  by  Garber 
Brothers;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 

Wells  on  Drake  place:  No.  1,  3  miles  north  of  Faunsdaie;  flow  one- 
quarter  gallon  per  minute;  rises  to  2  feet  above  ground;  temperature, 
69°.  No.  2,  one-quarter  mile  southwest  of  No.  1;  flow,  one-half  gallon 
per  minute;  rises  to  2  feet  above  ground.  No.  3,  one-quarter  mile  south- 
west of  No.  1;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  stands  at  surface.  No. 
4,  200  yards  east  of  No.  1;  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  75°; 
recently  cleaned. 

Wells  on  Croom  place,  owned  by  J.  H.  Minge  (old  wells) :  No.  1,  3 
miles  north  of  Faunsdaie;  flow,  1  1-3  ganons  per  minute;  rises  to  4  feet 
above  the  ground;  temperature,  70°.  No.  2,  one-quarter  mile  east  of  No. 
1;  flow,  one-quarter  gallon  per  minute;  rises  to  2  feet  abovetheground; 
temperature,  70°.  No.  3,  1  mile  south  of  No.  1;  1  gallon  per  minute; 
rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  69°. 

Well  of  Mr.  London,  of  Birmingham,  6  miles  south  of  Newberne, 
and  about  same  distance  north  of  Faunsdaie;  bored  by  Kinnaird  &  Sample 
in  1902;  depth,  500  feet;  3-inch  casing;  overflowing  water  obtained  at  a 


176  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

depth  CK  500  feet  after  three  days;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
68°.  Record:  Soil  0-8  feet;  blue  rock  with  occasional  strata  of  sand, 
8-500  feet. 


PERRY  COUNTY. 
SHALLOW  WATERS. 

On  account  of  its  great  extent  from  north  to  south,  Perry 
County  embraces  within  its  borders  all  four  of  the  Cretaceous 
formations  and  exhibits  in  consequence  much  variety  in  its  to- 
pography and  s'oils.  The  northeastern  part  down  nearly  to  the 
latitude  of  Marion  is  underlain  by  the  Tuscaloosa  formation, 
cross-bedded  sands  of  many  colors,  with  strata  of  massive  or 
joint  clay  of  mottled  red,  purple,  brown,  and  gray  colors.  In 
all  this  section  the  country  is  somewhat  hilly,  and  the  surface 
soils,  being  formed  either  by  the  s'andy  strata  of  the  Tusca- 
loosa or  the  equally  sandy  beds  of  the  overlying  Lafayette,  are 
well  suited  for  absorbing  and  transmitting  the  waters  which 
fall  upon  them.  Generally,  therefore,  in  this  section  there  is 
no  dearth  of  water  to  be  had  from  wells  and  hillside  springs. 
Many  of  the  wells,  however,  have  a  tendency  to  go  partially 
dry  in  the  winter  season. 

The  Eutaw  formation,  composed  of  sands  and  laminated 
clays,  makes  a  narrow  belt  between  the  Tuscaloosa  and  the 
Selma  chalk.  Very  nearly  the  same  conditions  of  topography 
and  soils  prevail  here  as  in  the  Tuscaloos'a  area,  and  open  wells 
and  springs  are  numerous. 

In  the  limestone  territory,  on  the  other  hand,  shallow  waters 
.are  deficient  and  deep  wells  correspondingly  more  numerous. 

Some  of  the  springs  in  the  Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw  terranes 
are  well  known,  and  a  few  of  them  may  be  mentioned :  The 
Popular  Spring,  near  the  old  town  of  Hamburg,  5  miles  south 
of  Marion,  is  a  cold  spring  boiling  up  through  the  sands;  half 
a  mile  southeast  of  this  is  a  similar  spring,  the  Norman ;  8 
miles  southeast  of  Marion,  on  the  Fikes  place,  I  mile  from  the 
bridge,  is  a  spring,  small  but  constant  in  all  seasons,  tempera- 
ture, 66° ;  12  miles  a  little  east  of  south  of  Marion,  is'  the 
Haynesworth  Spring  of  chalybeate  water;  13  miles  west  of  Ma- 
rion is  Dr.  W.  T.  Downey's  sulphur  spring;  n  miles  west  <  f 
Marion  on  R.  M.  Foster's  place,  are  several  springs;  in  the 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  177 

corporate  limits  of  Marion  is'  the  Magnesia  Spring,  on  the  Per- 
kins place;  31-2  miles  east  of  Marion  on  the  road  to  Sprott,  are 
the  Clinton  Springs  which  comprise  several  springs  of  sulphur 
and  iron  waters;  4  1-2  miles  due  east  of  Marion  are  the  Bur- 
roughs' Springs,  of  mineral  quality,  some  of  them  chalybeate; 
half  a  mile  due  north  of  Burroughs  are  several  chalybeate 
springs;  5  miles  east  of  Marion  in  sec.  26,  T.  20,  R.  8,  is  C.  \V. 
Ford's  spring,  strong  of  iron  and  formerly  much  used  bv 
Marion  people. 

ARTESIAX   WATERS. 

The  Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw  sands  are  in  this  county,  as  else- 
where, the  water-bearing  sands  of  the  artesian  wells.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  territory  of  these  formations  is  fairly- 
well  supplied  supplied  with  shallow  wells,  the  records  show 
also  a  number  of  artesian  wells  here. 

WELLS   IN    THE   TUSCALOOSA   FORMATION. 

The  six  wells  recorded  below  are  located  on  the  outcrop  of 
the  Tuscaloosa  in  the  northern  and  northeastern  parts  of  the 
county,  and  obtain  water  from  that  formation. 

Well  on  Hornbuckle  place,  owned  by  H.  A.  Peters,  near  LeVert,  in  the 
S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  Quarter  Section  34,  Township  21,  Range  8;  flow,  1J5 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  5  feet  above  the  ground;  6-inch  casing; 
temperature,  65°.  This  well  was  bored  over  40  years  ago,  about  the  same 
time  as  the  Sprott  well  No.  3.  There  were  a  number  of  these  old  wells 
in  the  vicinity,  but  all  have  stopped  flowing  except  these  two. 

T.  M.  Wallace's  well,  8  miles  northeast  of  Marion,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  14  or  N.  E.  quarter  Section  15,  Township  20,  Range  8;  bored  by 
a  negro  in  1898;  depth,  250  feet;  cased  to  bottom  with  5,  4,  and  3  1-2  inch 
casing;  first  overflow  at  100  feet;  second  overflow  at  150  feet,  bold  stream: 
present  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  65  1-2°.  No  hard 
rock,  but  principally  sand,  with  one  or  two  strata  of  blue  rock.  Partly 
bituminized  logs  were  encountered  between  50  and  100  feet. 

Lovelace  well,  6  miles  a  little  north  of  east  of  Marion;  old  well;  for- 
merly overflowed;  water  now  rises  just  to  the  surface;  used  as  a  kind 
of  cistern. 

Sprott  wells:  No.  1,  at  house,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
'tion  31,  Township  20,  Range  9;  bored  by  hand  in  1886;  depth,  150  feet; 
cased  to  bottom  with  4  and  6  inch  casing;  temperature,  66°.  At  150  feet 
water  rose  2  feet  above  surface;  on  penetrating  a  thin  stratum  of  rock 
at  this  depth,  the  water  rushed  up  with  great  violence,  flowing  60  gal- 
lons per  minute.  Record:  Sand,  0-30  feet;  Tuscaloosa  formation,  30-150 
feet;  then  a  few  inches  of  hard  rock.  No.  2,  at  quarter,  1  mile*south  of 
No.  1,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  19,  Range 
12 


178  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

9  E.;  bored  by  hand  in  1895;  depth,  150  feet;  cased  to  bottom  with  4  and 
6  inch  pipe;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Record:  Sand, 
0-30  feet;  Tuscaloosa  formation,  30-150  feet.  No.  3,  on  Wallace  place, 
3  miles  nearly  south  of  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  1,  Township 
19,  Range  8;  very  old  well;  depth,  150  feet;  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute, 
originally  much  stronger;  recently  cased  to  bottom  with  4-inch  casing; 
temperature,  65°.  Record:  Sand,  0-30  feet;  Tuscaloosa  formation,  30-150 
feet. 

WELLS  IN  THE  El  TAW  FORMATION. 

On  the  Eutaw  outcrop  as  on  the  Tuscaloosa,  bored  wells 
are  not  so  numerous  as  in  the  region  of  the  Selma  chalk,  but 
a  few  wells  are  recorded  about  Marion  and  to  the  southeast 
near  Radfordville  and  Felix. 

MARION    AND    VICINITY. 

Town  well,  Marion,  in  the  E.  half  Section  12,  Township  19,  Range  7; 
bored  in  1898;  depth,  650  feet;  6-inch  casing;  water  stands  at  -150  feet. 

Well  at  old  Ike  Underwood  place,  6  miles  southwest  of  Marion,  in  the 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  19,  Range  7;  flow,  2  gallons  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  66°. 

Well  on  Ed.  Craig  place;  old  well;  flows  very  weak  stream. 

Peyton  Tutwiler's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  16 
or  17,  Township  19,  Range  7;  5  miles  west  of  Marion;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  2.  one-half  mile  west  of  No.  1;  estimated 
flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Nos.  3  and  4  are  in  decay. 

OLD  HAMBURG. 

In  and  around  the  town  of  old  Hamburg,  close  to  the  contact 
of  the  Eutaw  with  the  chalk  foimation,  but  on  the  former,  aie 
many  old  wells  yielding  bold  streams  of  fine  drinking  water. 
As  the  town  has  gone  down,  many  of  these  old  wells  have 
fallen  into  disuse. 

RADFORDVILLE. 

J.  S.  Alexander's  wells,  near  Radfordville:  No.  1,  in  Section  32,  Town- 
ship 19,  Range  9;  diameter,  8  inches;  flows  18  gallons  per  minute;  water 
rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  66°;  tastes  strong  of  iron. 
No.  2,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  18,  Range 
9;  bored  about  1859;  depth  250  feet;  8-inch  casing;  original  flow,  35  gallons 
per  minute  at  4  feet  above  the  ground;  present  flow,  50  or  60  gallons  per 
minute  at  surface;  temperature,  66°;  tastes  strong  of  iron. 

W.  B.  Alexander's  wells,  near  Radfordville:  No.  1,  one-half  mile  east 
from  J.  S.  Alexander's  well  No.  1;  depth,  250  to  300  feet;  8-inch  casing- 
estimated  flow,  50  gallons  per  minute,  in  decay;  temperature.  67°;  tastes 
strong  of  iron.  No.  2,  bored  by  an  old  negro  in  1897;  depth,  150  feet; 
casing  50  feet.  4-inch;  first  water  at  150  feet;  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground. 


WATERS  01?  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  179 

FELIX    AND    VICINITY. 

Walter  Smith's  well,  near  Felix;  bored  by  W.  Suttle  in  1903;  depth,  210 
feet,  4-inch  casing;  first  water  at  210  feet;  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  66°. 

Wells  on  Suttle  &  Jones  plantation,  near  Felix:  No.  1,  at  Mr.  Suttle's 
house,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 16,  Township  18,  Range  9;  bored  in  December  1902,  by  Mr.  Suttle; 
depth,  220  feet;  casing,  40  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  100  feet,  overflowed; 
third  water  at  220  feet,  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  670. 
Record:  Clay,  0-16  feet;  gravel,  16-18  feet;  clay,  18-35  feet;  blue  rock, 
35-100  feet;  successive  layers  of  white  and  black  sand  and  some  sand  rock, 
100-220  feet.  Water  tastes  very  strong  ofiron.  No.  2,  200  yards  north  ot 
No.  1,  at  gin,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  16,  Township 
18,  Range  9;  bored  in  1898  by  Pat  Gilmore;  depth,  198  feet;  casing,  32  feet. 
4-inch;  flow,  8  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  No.  3,  2  miles  west 
of  north  of  No.  1,  at  fork  of  roads  near  Edwards  place,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  18,  Range  9;  bored  by  Suttle 
in  1897;  depth,  96  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  record  same  as  No.  1.  No.  4,  2 
miles  west  of  north  from  No.  1,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 8,  Township  18,  Range  9;  bored  by  Suttle  in  1903;  depth,  180  feet; 
casing,  30  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  100  feet;  second  water  at  180  feet; 
both  overflowed;  yield,  9  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  5. 
2  1-2  miles  northwest  of  No.  1,  in  the  center  of  the  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 7,  Township  18,  Range  9;  bored  by  Suttie  in  1903;  depth,  186  feet; 
casing,  35  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  at  100  feet;  second  water  at  186  feet; 
both  overflowed;  estimated  yield,  11  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
66°;  record  same  as  No.  1.  No.  6,  1  mile  west  of  north  of  No.  1,  at 
Goshen  place,  in  the  center  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  18, 
Range  9;  in  every  particular  about  the  same  as  No.  1.  No.  7,  2  miles 
west  of  north  of  No.  1;  old  well  at  W.  S.  Suttle's  residence,  Edwards 
place,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  18,  Range 
9;  bored  about  1852;  depth,  225  feet;  diameter  6  inches;  estimated  flow, 
25  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Nos.  8  to  14,  all  within  3  miles 
of  Felix,  are  old  wells  bored  about  1850;  casing,  4  and  6  inch;  some  are 
rather  weak  now,  but  all  were  formerly  good  strong  wells: 

No.  8,  on  Vaughn  place,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
9,  Township  18,  Range  9; 

No.  9,  on  Vanderslice  place,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
21,  Township  18,  Range  9; 

No.  10,  on  Vanderslice  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section 
20,  Township  18,  Range  9; 

No.  11,  on  Swift  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  28. 
Township  18,  Range  9; 

No.  12,  on  Cooper  place,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  35, 
Township  18,  Range  9; 

Nos.  13  and  14,  on  Davis  place,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter,  Sec- 
tion 2,  Township  17,  Range  9. 


WELLS    IN    THE    SELMA    CHALK. 

Most  of  the  bored  wells  are  naturally  found  in  the  relatively 
small  area  of  the  Selma  chalk  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 


180  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

county.  These  wells  get  their  supply  generally  from  the  Eutaw 
sands,  the  depth  to  which  increases'  southward  and  southwest- 
ward. 

UNIONTOWN    AND    VICINITY. 

The  deepest  of  the  wells  on  the  Selma  chalk  is  at  Uniontown, 
which  is  also  the  southerlymost  point  from  which  wells  are 
recorded  in  Perry  County.  The  altitude  of  Uniontown  is 
286  feet,  and  the  water  stands  at  -120  feet.  Depth  of  well 
(reported  by  the  mayor  in  1898),  1195  feet;  diameter,  8 
inches ;  water  comes  from  the  second  horizon  at  870  feet ; 
raised  by  air-lift;  volume,  300  gallons  per  minute;  supply  seems 
inexhaustible ;  temperature,  79° ;  the  quality  of  the  water,  good, 
only 1 78.0  parts  per  million  of  dissolved  solids;  supply  ample 
for  the  present  needs  of  the  town. 

J.  C.  Welch's  well,  reported  in  1898;  depth,  895  feet;  8-inch  casing  to 
bottom;  water  stands  at  -125  feet;  temperature,  about  68°. 

G.  D.  Stollenwerck's  well,  3  1-2  miles  north  of  Uniontown;  bored  by 
Hawk  in  September,  1903;  depth,  590  feet;  casing,  275  feet,  2  and  4  inch; 
first  water  at  400  feet;  second  water,  at  540  feet,  stands  at  -60  feet; 
depth  to  principal  supply,  550  feet;  pump  used;  depth  to  blue  rock,  20 
feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  350  feet. 

G.  B.  Johnston's  well,  10  miles  south  of  Uniontown;  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk 
in  1904;  depth,  875  feet;  diameter,  4  and  3  inches;  depth  to  principal  supply, 
855  feet;  water  stands  at  -40  feet;  yield,  10  gallons  per  minute  with  pump; 
water  stratum  at  175  feet. 

SCOTTS    STATION. 

Howze  Scott's  wells,  Scotts  Station;  5  old,  nonflowing  wells;  water 
stands  at  from  3  to  30  feet  from  surface,  as  it  does  in  all  the  wells  in 
this  vicinity;  age  of  wells  not  known;  depth  generally  supposed  to  be 
from  85  to  300  feet. 

A.  B.  Gewin's  well,  Scotts  Station,  300  yards  northwest  of  station;  depth, 
62  feet;  casing,  18  feet,  4-inch. 

W.  A.  Thigpen's  well,  3  miles  south  of  Scotts  Station;  bored  by  a  negro 
in  1896;  depth,  100  feet;  casing,  18  feet,  4-inch. 

SOUTHWARD    FROM    MARION. 

Wells  on  Billingsley  place:  No.  1,  in  the  N.  half  of  N.  half  Section  5, 
Township  18,  Range  7,  7  miles  southwest  of  Marion;  in  decay,  flow  de- 
creasing. No.  2,  in  the  N.  half  Section  5,  Township  18,  Range  7;  esti- 
mated flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Nos.  3,  4  and  5  are  de- 
creasing in  flow;  no  other  data. 

J.  C.  Tidmore's  wells:  No.  1,  8  miles  south  of  Marion,  on  Lee  place, 
in  Section  28,  Township  18,  Range  8  E.;  depth,  135  feet;  bored  with  4-inch 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  181 

auger.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  feet;  blue  rock  at  22  feet.  No.  2,  one-quarter 
mile  from  No.  1,  yields  water  of  a  dark  color,  not  drinkable.  No.  3, 
1  mile  from  No.  1,  in  the  same  hollow,  yields  water  similar  to  No.  2,  but 
not  so  bad.  The  character  of  the  water  from  well  No.  1  above  is  shown 
by  the  following  analysis,  by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  Tidnwrc  well  No.  1,  8  miles  south  of  Marion. 

Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    11.3 

Sodium    (Na)    177.6 

Magnesium    (Mg)    85.2 

Calcium     (Ca) 857.6 

Iron    and    Alumina     (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 16.8 

Chlorine    (Cl) 661.1 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO*)   1448.5 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3) 546.5 

Silica  (SiOo)   54.4 


HAMBURG    STATION    AND   VICINITY. 

J.  T.  Fitzgerald's  wells  (old),  on  plantation  at  Hamburg  station:  No. 
1,  1  mile  southwest  of  Hamburg,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  19,  Town- 
ship 18,  Range  8;  flow,  three-quarter  gallons  per  minute;  temperature. 
66°.  No.  2,  1  1-2  miles  west  of  Hamburg,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  qua- 
ter  Section  19,  Township  18,  Range  8;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  66°.  No.  3,  2  miles 
southwest  of  Hamburg,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  30,  Township  18. 
Range  8;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  4,  2  miles  south- 
west of  Hamburg,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  30,  Township  18,  Range  8; 
flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Nos.  5  and  6  are  in  decay 
and  decreasing  in  flow. 

J.  S.  Blackman's  well,  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Hamburg,  in  the  W. 
half  N.  W.  quarter  Section  30,  Township  18,  Range  8;  flow,  2  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  66°. 

R.  B.  Wallace's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  2  miles  southwest  of  Hamburg,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  29,  Township  18,  Range  8;  flow,  one-quarter 
gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  2,  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of 
Hamburg;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the 
ground;  temperature,  65°.  No.  3,  no  longer  flows;  water  stands  at  -40 
feet;  pump  used. 

Wells  of  Jones  &  Stewart,  of  Marion:  No.  1,  3  miles  west  of  south  of 
Hamburg,  in  Section  31,  Township  18,  Range  8;  water  stands  at  -5  feet. 
No.  2,  one-fourth  mile  north  of  No.  1;  does  not  flow;  water  stands  at 
-5  feet.  No.  3,  one-half  mile  west  of  No.  1,  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66°.  No.  4,  1  1-4  miles  west  of  No.  1;  flow,  1  gallon  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  66°.  No.  5,  1  1-4  miles  west  of  No.  1;  flow,  2  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  These  are  all  old  wells. 

B.  Tubbs  and  R.  Tubbs  each  has  an  old,  nonflowing  well,  10  miles  south 
of  Marion.  No  information  obtainable. 

Judge  Shivers's  well,  on  Tarrant  place,  11  miles  south  of  Marion;  non- 
flowing. 

Well  of  Mrs.  McCarroll,  of  Marion,  4  miles  southwest  of  Hamburg,  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  5,  Township  17,  Range  8;  flow,  5  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  67°. 


182  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

MARION    JUNCTION    AND   VICINITY. 

Many  of  the  wells  in  this1  vicinity,  north  and  northeast  of 
Marion  Junction,  are  close  to  the  county  line,  and  there  is 
occasionally  some  uncertainty  as  to  whether  they  should  be 
credited  to  Dallas  or  Perry  County.  Where  the  locations  are 
given  above  in  Township  17,  Range  9,  it  would  seem  that  they 
should  come  under  Dallas,  though  the  best  information  obtain- 
able credits  them  to  Perry.  It  is  therefore  quite  probable  that 
the  records  of  localities  by  the  land  numbers  may  be  at  fault. 

Mrs.  Chisholm's  well,  5  miles  northeast  of  Marion  Junction,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  17,  Range  9,  150  yards  from 
County  line;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  69°;  old  well. 

Gordon  Chisholm's  well,  4  miles  northeast  of  Marion  Junction,  at  mill, 
in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  5,  Township  17,  Range  9; 
old  well;  estimated  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above 
the  ground;  temperature,  68  1-2°. 

Johnny  Chisholm's  wells:  No.  1,  4  miles  northeast  of  Marion  Junction, 
adjoining  Gordon  Chisholm's  place  on  the  west;  old  well;  flow,  one-half 
gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  1  foot  above  the  ground;  temperature, 
68°.  No.  2,  one-quarter  mile  east  of  No.  1;  new  well;  bored  by  Patrick 
Gilmore  in  1898;  depth,  70  feet;  flow,  constant,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66°.  This  well  is  located  about  2  miles  from  the  limestone 
belt.  Record:  Blue  rock,  0-69  feet;  hard  rock,  water,  69-70  feet. 

Brown  well,  150  yards  from  county  line,  one-quarter  mile  east  of 
Mrs.  Chisholm's  well;  flow,  one-quarter  gallon  per  minute;  temperature, 
66°;  old  well. 

Sallie  White's  wells  (old):  No.  1,  5  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Marion  Junc- 
tion, just  beyond  the  bridge;  estimated  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  water 
rises  to  2  feet  above  the  ground.  No.  2,  one-quarter  mile  east  of  No.  1, 
on  south  side  of  road  from  Marion  Junction  to  Selma;  flows  10  gallons 
per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 

Well  of  W.  J.  &  E.  T.  Gilmer,  3  1-2  miles  Northeast  of  Marion  Junction, 
100  yards  from  county  line;  new  well;  bored  by  a  negro  in  1902;  depth,  143 
feet;  water  stands  at  -12  feet;  stopped  at  first  water.  Record:  Prairie 
soil;  0-15  feet;  lime  rock,  15-130  feet;  sand  rock,  130-131  feet;  sand,  131-143 
feet.  Broke  tool  in  second  sand  rock  at  143  feet. 


MARENGO   COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  surface  rocks  in  a  narrow  strip  in  the  northern  part  of 
Marengo  County  are  the  upper  members  of  the  "rotten  lime- 
stone/' or  Selma  chalk.  These  rocks  have  the  usual  character, 
except  that  the  limestone  is  at  the  top  more  mixed  with  clav 
than  is  generally  the  case  and  abounds  in  fossils,  mainly 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  183 

Hxogyra  and  Gryphaea.  Next  below  the  fossiliferous  stratum 
comes  a  very  pure  whitish  limestone,  which  is  now  utilized  at 
Demopolis  in  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement.  This  bed 
of  pure  limestone  extends  across  the  county  by  Van  Dorn, 
Gallion,  and  Faunsdale  to  Uniontown  and  beyond.  The  strata 
of  the  Ripley  formation  outcrop  in  a  belt  just  south  of  the 
Selma  chalk.  These  beds  are,  in  their  disintegrated  form  at 
least,  prevalently  sandy,  but  below  the  zone  of  weathering  they 
consist  of  sandy  limestones  or  highly  calcareous  sandstones  The 
sands  which  lie  at  the  surface  over  all  this  Ripley  belt  might 
be  supposed  to  indicate  that  this  formation  would  be  a  good 
water  bearer,  but  such  is'  not  the  case,  at  least  so  far  as  arte- 
sian waters  are  concerned,  for  in  the  Flatwoods  belt  adjoining 
the  Ripley  on  the  south,  artesian  borings  have  not  generally 
resulted  in  overflowing  wells.  The  surface  sands  give  ris^ 
to  fairly  good  wells,  and  springs  are  found  along  the  edges  of 
the  ravines  and  washes',  the  water  in  both  cases  being  usually 
rather  strongly  impregnated  with  lime. 

Although  the  Selma  chalk  outcrops  only  in  the  upper  part  of 
Marengo  County,  it  is  within  this  area  that  most  of  the  artesian 
wells  are  found.  These  have  a  great  thickness  of  the  chalk  to 
penetrate  before  reaching  the  water-bearing  sands  of  the  Eutaw 
and  they  are  consequently  deep. 

ARTESIAN   RECORDS. 

DEMOPOLIS     AND     VICINITY. 

At  Demopolis,  on  Tombigbee  River,  artesian  wells  supply  the  town 
water  works.  The  records  of  these  borings  are  given  below,  together 
with  those  of  other  wells  in  and  around  the  city. 

City  well,  Demopolis,  in  the  S.  E!.  quarter  Section  24,  Township  18, 
Range  2;  bored  by  Jackson  in  1885;  depth,  775  feet;  flow,  50  gallons  per 
minute. 

City  waterworks  wells,  Demopolis,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  24, 
Township  18,  Range  2;  No.  1,  bored  by  Mr.  Lipscomb  in  1898;  depth,  7<35 
feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  rises  to  20  feet  above  the  ground;  origi- 
nal flow,  15  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  6  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 73°.  No.  2,  depth,  735  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  water  rises  to  12 
feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute. 

New  city  wells,  Demopolis,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  24,  Township  18, 
Range  2;  two  wells,  50  feet  apart;  bored  by  J.  I.  Hawk  in  1902;  depth, 
900  feet;  first  flow  at  800  feet;  yield,  about  150  gallons  per  minute.  Record: 
Lime  rock,  0-500  feet;  sand,  500-900  feet;  at  about  700  feet  in  one  well,  a 
thin  rock,  very  hard,  not  found  in  the  other  well.  A  sample  of  this  water 
has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges,  with  the  following  results: 


]  84  DETAILS  :       COASTAL   PLAIN   DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  wells  of  the  Demopolis  waterworks. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    255.8 

Magnesium    (Mg) 1.1 

Calcium  (Ca)    3.7 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,Al2O3) 4.0 

Chlorine   (Cl)    : 40.6 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)   trace 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   624.0 

Silica    (SiO8) 22.1 


951.! 


Leder  Oil  Company's  well,  Demopolis,  on  eastern  edge  of  town,  in  the 
S.  W.  quarter  Section  24,  Township  18,  Range  2;  bored  by  Hawk  in  May, 
1902;  depth,  765  feet;  casing  325  feet,  4-inch  and  2-inch;  first  water  at 
550  feet,  stand  -10  feet;  second  water  at  650  feet,  stand  -2  feet;  third  water 
at  750  feet,  stand  10  feet  above  the  ground;  depth  to  principal  supply,  V50 
feet;  original  flow,  12  gallon  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  8  feet; 
thickness  of  blue  rock,  500  feet. 

Demopolis  Cooperage  Company's  wells,  on  eastern  edge  of  town,  in  the 
S.  W.  quarter.  Section  24,  Township  18,  Range  2;  bored  in  June,  1902, 
by  Hawk,  depth,  750  feet;  casing  325  feet,  2  1-2-inch  and  4-inch;  first 
water  at  525  feet,  stand  -2  feet;  second  water  at  625  feet,  stand  8  feet 
above  the  ground;  third  water  at  735  feet,  stand  20  feet  above  the  ground; 
depth  to  principal  supply,  735  feet;  flow,  35  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to 
blue  rock,  38  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  485  feet. 

Demopolis  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Company's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter 
Section  24.  Township  18,  Range  2;  bored  by  Lipscomb  in  1901;  deptn,  83ft 
feet;  casing,  300  feet,  4-inch,  535  feet  3-inch;  first  water  at  525  leet;  second 
water  at  625  feet,  flowing  6  gallons  per  minute;  third  water  at  835  feet, 
flowing  60  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow  (estimated),  35  gallons  per 
minute.  Record:  Lime  rock,  0-525  feet;  sand,  525-575  feet;  sand  rock, 
575-576  feet;  sand,  with  occasional  thin  rock,  576-835  feet. 

Well  on  George  A.  Kli  place,  Demopolis,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section 
19,  Township  18,  Range  2;  flows  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
82°. 

John  C.  Webb's  wells,  Demopolis,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  >A, 
Township  18,  Range  2:  No.  1,  at  Compress;  bored  by  Stevens;  estimated 
flow,  25  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  75°.  No.  2,  bored  by  Stevens; 
flow,  25  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  75°. 

John  C.  Webb's  wells,  near  Demopolis:  No.  1,  on  Sharp  place,  3  1-2 
miles  northeast  of  Demopolis;  bored  by  Hawk  in  November,  1901;  depth, 
661  feet;  casing  350  feet,  2-inch  and  4-inch;  first  water  at  490  feet,  stand 
-12  feet;  second  water  at  550  feet,  stand  -4  feet;  third  water  at  650  feet, 
stand  4  feet  above  the  ground;  depth  to  principal  supply,  650  leet;  original 
flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  16  feet;  thickness  of  blue 
rock,  430  feet.  No.  2,  on  Baumgarten  place,  4  miles  southeast  of  Demop- 
olis; bored  by  Hawk  in  January,  1902;  depth,  755  feet;  casing  350  feet, 
2-inch  and  4-inch;  first  water  at  600  feet;  -10  feet;  second  water  675 
feet,  stand,  -4  feet;  third  water  at  750  feet,  stand  8  feet  above  the  ground; 
depth  to  principal  supply,  750  feet;  original  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute; 
deptn  to  blue  rock,  14  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  540  feet.  No.  3,  on- 
Sledge  place,  4  3-4  miles  south  of  Demopolis;  bored  by  Hawk  in  July, 
1902;  depth,  1040  feet;  casing,  300  feet,  3-inch  and  4-inch;  first  water  at 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  185 

S25  feet,  stand  —80  feet;  second  water  at  950  feet,  stand  -70  feet;  depth  to 
principal  supply,  950  feet;  does  not  flow;  pump  used;  depth  to  blue  rock, 
16  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  750  feet. 

Jesse  Whitfield's  wells,  on  Gaineswood  place:  No.  1,  one-quarter  mile 
south  of  Demopolis,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  25,  Township  18,  Range 
2;  flow  decreasing  so  that  it  forms  a  kind  of  spring,  ^o.  2,  1  mile  south 
of  i>o.  1,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  36,  Township  18,  Range  2;  old  well; 
no  longer  flows. 

Gaineswood  well,  near  Demopolis,  one-half  mile  south  of  ice  factory; 
in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  25,  Township  18,  Range  2;  bored  about  1864; 
when  the  ice-factory  well  was  bored  this  well  ceased  to  flow. 

Alabama  Portland  Cement  Company's  well,  at  Spocari,  near  Demopolis, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  18,  Range  3;  bored  by  Ste- 
vens in  1900;  depth,  about  750  feet;  flow,  100  ganons  per  minute;  water 
rose  to  20  feet  above  the  ground;  first  water,  at  475  feet,  barely  over- 
flowed; principal  supply  trom  750  feet.  Record:  Lime  rock,  0-450.  feet; 
sanu  and  thin  sand  rock,  450-750  eet: 

R.  P.  Knox's  well,  Demopolis;  bored  by  Hawk  in  1904;  depth,  911  feet; 
flows. 

Bessie  Minge  Manufacturing  Company's  well,  Demopolis,  in  Section  26, 
Township  18,  Range  2;  bored  by  Fred  Braswell;  depth,  over  700  feet; 
400  feet  through  the  lime  rock;  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
75°. 

Black  Warrior  Lumber  Company's  well,  Demopolis;  bored  by  Hawk 
in  1904;  depth,  760  feet;  flows. 

_..  P.  Allen's  well,  3  miles  south  of  Demopolis,  N.  E.  quarter  S.  W. 
quarter  Section  1,  Township  17,  Range,  2;  bored  by  Stephens  in  1895; 
depth,  1175  feet;  casing,  1030  feet,  2-inch;  estimated  flow,  8  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  to  9  feet  above  the  ground;  overflow  at  1030  and  1175 
feet.  Record:  Lime  rock,  0-650  feet;  sand  with  occasional  rock,  650-1030 
feet;  gravel,  1030-1040  feet;  pink  soapstone,  1040-1175  feet. 

D.  H.  Britton's  well,  in  the  N.  half  S.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township 
17,  Range  4;  old  well;  no  record  available. 

Well  at  Van  Dorn  station,  3  or  4  miles  east  of  Demopolis;  flows  good 
stream. 


GALLION   AND  VICINITY. 

Wells  on  Windsor  place,  owned  by  Thornton  Tayloe,  2  miles  south- 
east of  Gallion,  in  the  S.  aalf  Section  9,  Township  17,  Range  4,  E.;  four 
old  wells:  No..l,  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  74°.  The  four 
wells  are  in  a  radius  of  1  mile;  two  of  them  no  longer  flow,  and  the 
tourth  well  flows  about  2  gallons  per  minute. 

Wen  on  Ross  place,  6  miles  south  of  Gallion,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 34,  Township  17,  Range  4,  E.;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground.,  temperature,  69°. 

FATJNSDALE    AND    VICINITY. 

John  Minge's  well,  on  Body  place,  5  miles  southwest  of  Faunsdale; 
bored  in  1903  by  A.  J.  Dallings;  no  record  since  completion;  first  water, 
at  420  feet,  stood  at  -6  feet.  Record:  Soil,  0-12  feet;  blue  rock,  12-420  feet; 
sand,  420-500  feet. 


186  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  on  Palmetto  place,  3  or  4  miles  southwest  of  Faunsdale;  owned  by 
Alex  Archer;  estimated  flow,  4  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4 
feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  74°. 

Wells  on  Smaw  place,  3  1-2  miles  north  of  west  of  Faunsdale;  three 
old  wells;  all  flow  from  one-quarter  to  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature, 
69°. 

Well  on  Gholson  place,  2  1-2  miles  north  of  west  of  Faunsdale;  depth, 
300-500  feet;  flows  half-inch  stream. 

Minge  Wilkins's  wells  (old),  2  miles  north  of  west  of  Faunsdale;  bored 
about  1845:  No.  1,  depth,  360  feet;  diameter,  3-inches;  flow  one-tenth 
of  a  gallon  per  minute.  No.  2,  three-fourths  mile  west  of  No.  1;  depth, 
400  feet;  flow,  one-tenth  of  a  gallon  per  minute. 

Wells  on  Selden  place,  1  1-2  miles  north  of  Faunsdale;  two  old  bored 
wells,  not  flowing  at  present. 

C.  D.  Walker's  wells,  one-half  mile  northeast  of  Faunsdale;  three  oil 
wells,  one  of  them  barely  flowing  at  surface,  the  other  two  having 
stopped;  depth  supposed  to  be  about  450  feet. 

Minis  Walker's  wells,  Faunsdale;  five  wells;  depths,  450,  450,  560,  650. 
and  830  feet;  start  in  the  Selma  chalk  and  obtain  water  from  the  Eutaw 
sands;  four  of  them  overflow  with  small  streams;  yield  of  one  is  15  to 
20  gallons  per  minute;  others  can  not  be  exhausted  by  deep-well  pump; 
from  the  830-foot  well  a  windmill  fills  a  5,000-  gallon  tank  in  12  hours 
with  no  decrease  in  volume. 

Well  about  3  1-2  miles  north  of  Faunsdale,  reported  to  be  700  feet  deep; 
yield,  8  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  2  1-2  feet  above  the  ground; 
blue  rock  at  a  depth  of  230  feet. 

Faunsdale  Oil  Mill  well,  bored  by  A.  J.  Ballings  in  1901;  depth,  700 
feet;  diameter,  6  inches;  water  stands  at  -45  feet;  air-lift  used;  level 
varies  with  amount  pumped.  Record:  Blue  rock,  0-400  feet;  sand,  400-55(1 
feet;  flint  rock,  550-551  feet;  sand,  551-625  feet;  hard  rock,  625-626  feet;  sand, 
626-700  feet. 

J.  C.  Brown's  well,  Faunsdale;  bored  by  a  negro  in  1899;  depth,  560 
feet;  first  water  at  540  feet,  stand  -70  feet,  level  lowered  by  pumping; 
second  water  at  550  feet,  stands  at  -84  feet.  Record:  Marl,  0-540  feet; 
at  540  feet  a  thin  stratum  of  sand,  then  18  inches  of  flint  rock,  and 
greensand  at  bottom  of  boring. 

NEAR    OLD     SPRING     HILL. 

Mrs.  Charles  Allen's  well,  2  1-2  miles  east  of  Old  Spring  Hill;  depth, 
1400  feet;  at  900  feet  water  stood  at  -30  feet;  at  1400  feet  water  stood  at  -12 
feet. 

DAYTON. 

About  Dayton  are  several  wells  which  date  from  ante-bellum 
days  and  of  which  no  records  are  now  obtainable;  but  they 
have,  according  to  the  best  available  information,  all  gone 
through  the  limestone  into  the  underlying  Eutaw  sands. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  187 


At  Linden,  which  is  on  the  extreme  southern  border  of  the 
Cretaceous,  a  well  has  been  put  down  through  the  whole 
thickness  of  the  Ripley  formation  and  the  "rotten  limestone," 
As  Linden  is  located  near  the  lowlands  of  the  Chickasabogue, 
the  full  thickness  of  the  Ripley  sands  is  not  here  pres'ent,  as 
the  record  of  the  well  will  show.  The  well  is  in  the  court- 
house yard,  and  the  record  of  the  borings,  as  furnished  by  Prof. 
L.  G.  Diggers,  is  as  follows : 

Record    of    Court   House    well,    Linden. 


Feet. 

Clay  0—7 

Soft  Limestone  7—34 

Quicksand  34—58 

Blue  sand   58—68 

Quicksand   with   mica 68-118 

Pure   white   sand    118—168 

Blue    sand    168—188 

Hard    bluestone    188—190 

Soft  shale  or  clay 193—322 

Light-colored  limestone,  like  that  at  Demopolis..322— 501 
Limestone,  slaty  and  darker  than  the  preceding  501—901 
Similar  rock,  but  harder  and  ending  below  in  a 

hard  crust  ..  ...901-1041 


At  1040  feet,  a  hard  s'hell  of  stone  was  pierced,  below  which 
came  a  fine-grained,  water-bearing  sand.  Below  this,  at  1115 
feet,  a  limestone  (or  clay),  very  hard,  to  bottom  of  well;  but 
the  boring  went  down  to  1200  feet,  through  soft  limestone  (  ?) 
and  white  and  gray  clay ;  there  was  also  some  quicksand  below 
the  bed  rock  at  1115  feet.  The  stream  rises  about  18  inches 
above  the  surface  of  the  court-house  yard,  but  the  flow  is  very 
weak,  only  about  18  or  20  gallons  to  the  hour;  temperature  of 
the  water  is  73°,  and  the  taste  saline.  It  is  said  that  a  pump 
throwing  I  I -2-inch  stream  and  worked  continuously  for  seven 
or  eight  hours  did  not  lower  the  water  in  the  pipe  below  16 
feet.  If  this  is  the  case,  the  obvious  means  of  increasing  the 
flow  would  be  to  pipe  off  the  water  at  this  depth,  and  there  is 
enough  slope  to  accomplish  this  without  trouble.* 


*Since  the  above  was  written  this  has  been  done,  and  a  good  flow 
is  obtained  jit  the  present  mouth  of  the  well,  20  feet,  more  or  less,  be- 
low the  level  of  the  court-house  yard. 


188  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

The  Linden  well  and  that  at  Livingston,  Sumter  County,  arc 
similarly  located  as'  to  geologic  formations;  both  pierce  the 
Ripley  and  the  whole  thickness  of  the  Selma  chalk,  though  this 
is  not  quite  so  evident  here  as  at  Livingston.  In  both  places 
the  stream  is  weak  and  the  water  saline. 

The  writer's  interpretation  of  the  record  above  is  that  the 
line  between  the  Ripley  and  the  Selma  Chalk  will  fall  some- 
where within  the  soft  shale  or  clay,  132  feet  thick,  between  190 
and  322  feet;  and  that  the  strata  below  that  to  1115  feet  are 
the  chalk  formation,  and  the  rest  Eutaw,  though,  as'  has  been 
said  above,  this  is  not  very  apparent. 

The  character  of  the  water  from  the  Linden  public  well  is 
shown  by  the  accompanying  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges : 

Aanalysis  of  water  from  court-house  well,  Linden. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    trace 

Sodium  (Na)   550.0 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    7.2 

Iron  and  Alumina  (Fe*O3,AloO3)   5.0 

Chlorine   (Cl)    445.1 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    trace 

Carbonic  acid  (HCOS)   719.2 

Silica    (SiO2)    17.8 


1745.9 


Southern  Cotton  Company  well,  Linden,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E. 
quarter  Section  5,  Township  15,  Range  3;  bored  by  S.  W.  Ingram  in  1902; 
depth,  550  feet;  casing,  80  feet,  6-inch;  first  water  at  500  feet;  second  water, 
at  550  feet,  stood  at  -18  feet;  yield,  25  gallons  per  minute  for  a  week, 
lowering  level  to  -33  feet. 

Judge  S.  P.  Prowell's  well  at  Linden,  about  200  yards  north 
of  depot.  Depth  iioo  feet;  diameter  6  inches;  casing  to  bot- 
tom. Present  flow  about  one  half  gallon  per  minute  at  6  feet 
elevation  above  the  surface ;  original  flow  2  gallons  per  minute. 
Taste  and  effect  decidedly  those  of  epsom  salts.  Record,  sand 
about  100  feet,  then  lime  rock  to  depth  not  given. 

FLAT  WOODS   OR   POST    OAKS. 

South  of  Linden  is  the  belt  of  Flatwoods  or  Post  Oaks,  as 
the  lands  have  been  called.  The  surface  of  this  belt  is  occu- 
pied by  the  clays  of  the  lowermost  Tertiary.  Near  their  contact 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  189 

with  the  Ripley  the  clays  are  strongly  limed  by  the  washings 
from  that  formation  and  make  a  sort  of  black  prairie  country  of 
great  fertility.  The  main  body  of  the  Flatwoods',  however, 
away  from  this  contact,  contains  comparatively  little  lime. 
The  surface  is  a  trough  between  the  sandy  calcareous  hills  of 
the  Ripley,  on  the  one  side,  and  the  high  Tertiary  hills  capped 
with  the  red  loam  and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette,  on  the  other. 
On  account  of  the  dearth  of  water  during  the  summer  and  the 
excess  of  it  during  the  winter,  and  spring,  cultivation  of  the 
Flatwods  land  is  out  of  the  question,  except  locally  where  a 
remnant  of  sand  of  an  overlying  formation  has  es'caped  removal 
by  denudation.  For  water  the  few  inhabitants,  mostly  negroes, 
depend  on  cisterns  dug  into  the  clay  and  filled  from  the  house- 
tops. Another  drawback  to  cultivation  of  the  Flatwoods  is 
the  defective  drainage,  but  this  might  be  overcome  if  the  water 
problem  were  solved. 

The  following  notes  concerning  the  artesian  borings  in  the 
Flatwoods  of  Marengo  County  have  been  furnished  by  Mr. 
C.  B.  Wooten,  of  Consul.  These  examples  will  serve  to  show 
that  good  water  may  be  obtained  in  the  Flatwoods  by  deep 
borings. 

In  the  vicinity  oi  Whitehall,  15  miles  east  of  Linden,  in  185;' 
and  1858,  seven  wells  were  bored  in  or  near  the  plantation  of 
Colonel  Watts,  in  the  midst  of  the  Flatwoods  or  Post  Oak  belt. 
These  wells  ranged  in  depth  from  350  to  800  feet;  the  first 
water  struck  in  any  of  the  borings  was  at  320  feet,  and  it  rose 
to  within  40  or  50  feet  of  the  s'urface ;  water  was  sulphurous 
and  chalybeate.  Colonel  Watt's  place  was  2  miles  south  of  the 
Linden  and  Cahaba  road,  6  miles  from  McKinley,  and  2  miles 
from  Thomaston. 

Mr.  Wooten,  in  1858,  had  a  well  bored  to  the  depth  of  320 
feet,  getting  splendid  water  which  rose  to  within  60  feet  of 
the  surface. 

Since  the  completion  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  railroad 
to  Myrtlewood,  several  deep  wells  have  been  sunk  within  the 
territory  of  the  Flatwoods.  These  borings,  however,  do  not 
seem  to  have  obtained  any  water  from  the  Ripley  s'ands,  but 
have  gone  through  the  Selma  chalk  into  the  Eutaw  sands,  like 
the  well  at  Linden.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  J.  R.  Nevers 
we  are  enabled  to  give  some  account  of  a  deep  well  at  Gates, 
in  Section  10,  Township  15,  Range  2  east. 


190  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  at  Gates:  Depth  1140  feet;  diameter  3  inches;  cased  with  3-inch 
casing  to  depth  not  given;  depth  to  water  1120  feet;  overflowing  25  gal- 
lons per  minute.  No  decrease  since  the  beginning  in  1906.  The  water  is 
salty  and  is  used  only  for  drinking  purposes.  It  is  said  to  be  of  about 
the  same  character  as  the  water  from  the  Livingston  well  in  Greene 
county. 

Record:  Clay  0-  12  feet;  black  soapstone  (Sucarnochee  clay)  with  a 
little  sand  but  no  water,  12-  162  feet;  limestone  (Selma  chalk)  with  occa- 
sional hard  ledges,  162  -  1000  feet;  hard  rock,  1000  -  1080  feet;  water  bearing 
sands,  1080  -  1140  feet.  No  water  was  obtained  until  the  depth  of  1080  feet 
had  been  reached;  the  water  bearing  sands  are  60  feet  in  thickness  and 
the  strainer  of  the  well  rests  on  the  next  rock  below  the  sands.  The  well 
yields  a  good  deal  of  gas  at  all  times.  The  water  rises  to  an  elevation  of 
40  feet  above  the  surafce. 

LOWER    PART    OF    THE    COUNTY. 

The  lower  part  of  Marengo  County  is  underlain  by  sands  and 
clays  of  the  Tertiary  formations,  which  in  most  places  still 
have  the  capping  of  the  red  loam  and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette. 
Surface  waters  are  therefore  generally  ample  in  quantity  and 
excellent  in  quality,  s'o  that  artesian  borings  are  hardly  needed. 
In  these  sections,  however,  where  clays  predominate  in  the  sur- 
face outcrops,  it  would  in  many  cases  be  much  to  the  advantage 
of  the  citizens  to  get  better  water  than  can  be  had  from  shallow 
wells  and  springs.  In  such  places  there  should  be  no  trouble 
in  obtaining  artesian  water,  as  is  s'hown  by  the  boring  at  Butler, 
Choctaw  County,  where  the  strata  are  similar  to  those  in  Ma- 
rengo County. 


DALLAS   COUNTY. 
GENERAL   CONDITIONS. 

Within  the  limits'  of  Dallas  County  all  four  divisions  of  the 
Cretaceous  outcrop  are  at  the  surface  and  determine  the  soils, 
the  topography,  and  the  water  conditions.  The  two  lower  di- 
visions (Tuscaloosa  and  Eutaw)  appear  only  in  a  narrow  strip 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  county,  between  Oakmulgee  and 
Mulberry  creeks,  in  Townships  18  and  19.  In  the  greater  part 
of  this  section  the  red  loam  and  pebble  beds  of  the  Lafayette 
overlie  the  strata  of  the  older  formations  and  determine  the 
s'oils  and  water  conditions.  Surface  wells  and  springs  yielding 
the  best  freestone  water  are  not  lacking  in  this  section,  and  while 


WATERS  OF  THlv   CRF.TACEOUS.  191 

no  artesian  wells  are  recorded  there  be  no  difficulty  in  getting 
artesian  water  within  reasonable  depths  from  either  the  Tus- 
caloosa  or  Entaw  sands. 

North  of  Alabama  River,  about  the  city  of  Selma,,  is  a  wide 
terrace,  75  to  TOO  feet  above  river  level,  on  which  the  red  loam 
and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette  formation  overlie  the  calcareous 
beds  of  the  Selma  chalk.  The  immediate  surface  about  Selma 
and  for  a  number  of  miles'  up  and  down  the  river  is  formed  by 
sands,  probably  of  a  later  formation  than  the  Lafayette  (Colum- 
bia or  Ozark  sands).  Beyond  this  terrace  the  chalk  forms  the 
surface,  as  a  rule,  to  the  north,  west,  and  southwest  of  Selma. 

In  all  this  section  down  to  a  northwest-southeast  line  run- 
ning approximately  parallel  to  Chilatchee  creek  and  3  miles 
distant  from  it,  water  must  neces'sarily  come  from  artesian  bor- 
ings, except  where  the  Lafayette  and  Columbia  sands  overlie 
the  chalk  and  afford  the  usual  abundance  of  freestone  water 
from  wells  and  springs. 

In  crossing  the  county  from  Rehobeth,  Wilcox  County,  by 
way  of  Crumptonia,  Orrville,  and  Marion  Junction,  one  sees 
very  little  of  the  chalky  limestone  except  near  the  crossing  of 
Boguechitto  Creek,  the  surface  being  formed  mainly  by  the  La- 
fayette and  Columbia  sands  and  loams.  Near  Marion  Junc- 
tion the  chalk  begins.  The  reason  for  this  seems  to  be  that  this 
road  follows  generally  the  lowlands  of  Boguechitto  Creek  and 
its  tributaries,  where  erosion  has  been  more  than  usually  ef- 
fective. The  sands  and  loams  of  this  mantle  appear  to  be  of 
the  same  nature  as  the  terrace  sands  near  Selma.  Not  many  ar- 
tesian wells  are  found  along  this  road,  but  the  surface  wells 
seem  to  afford  sufficient  water  to  meet  the  demand.  From  3 
or  4  miles  south  of  Marion  Junction  to  the  northern  and  west- 
ern boundaries  of  the  county,  the  chalk  occupies  the  surface. 
At  Marion  Junction  ( altitude  (  204  feet)  the  wells  do  not  over- 
flow, and  windmills  are  used  for  raising  the  water.  The  depth 
of  wells  here  is  reported  to  be  only  250  feet. 

A  belt  8  or  10  miles  wide  in  the  lower  part  of  Dallas  Coun- 
ty, is  underlain  by  the  strata  of  the  Ripley  formation,  in  which, 
so  far  as  the  writer's  information  goes,  no  bored  wells  have 
been  sunk.  Much  of  the  surface,  however,  throughout  this 
belt  is  formed  by  the  Lafayette  sands  and  loams,  in  which  sur- 
tace  wells'  afford  a  sufficient  supply  of  water. 


192  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

East  of  Alabama  River  the  conditions  are  about  the  same  as 
those  above  described  for  the  area  underlain  by  the  chalk  and 
the  Ripley.  The  divides  in  this  part  of  the  county,  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  both  these  formations,  are  often  high,  level  plains,  with 
a  surface  of  red  loam  underlain  by  pebbles  (Lafayette).  Rich- 
mond, Carlowville,  and  Pleasant  Hill  are  upon  such  high  pla- 
teaus. The  lowlands  have  strong  calcareous  soils  (Sehna  chalk 
and  Ripley),  entirely  different  from  the  sandy  loams  of  the  pla- 
teaus. 


ARTESIAN  RECORDS. 

The  details  below  of  the  bored  wells  of  Dallas  County,  will 
illustrate  its  artesian  conditions. 


CAHABA. 


The  old  town  of  Cahaba  was  probably  one  of  the  first  places 
where  artesian  borings  were  made  in  Dallas'  County.  One  of 
these,  "the  great  well,"  is  said  to  yield  1200  gallons  of  water  per 
minute,  which  if  true,  would  make  it  probably  the  largest  in 
the  State  except  the  Roberts  well  in  Escambia  County.  The 
great  well  on  the  Pickens  place,  in  Hale  County,  yields  now 
only  about  850  gallons  per  minute,  and  it,  also,  has  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  the  largest  in  the  State.  It  is  probable  that  the 
flow  in  both  these  wells  has'  much  diminished  since  they  weiv 
first  bored,  by  reason  of  leakage  and  the  stopping  or  partial 
stopping  of  the  pipe  by  stones  and  other  obstructions.  The  rec- 
ord of  the  Cahaba  well,  as  published  by  Professor  Winchell.* 
(furnished  to  him  by  Mr.  Campbell,  who  bored  it),  is  as  fol- 
lows: 


*Proc.  Am.  Assoc.  Adv.  Sc.  1856,  section  on  Geology,  p.  y9. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  193 

Record  of  the  "great  well,"  Cahaba. 


Feet.  Inches. 

Loam,  red  clay,   sand,   and  pebbles 32  10 

First    "rotten    limestone" 330  10 

First  sandstone  (a  concrete  of  sand  and  shells) 0  6 

Gray    sand,    with    water    3  0 

Second    sandstone    1  3 

Gray    sand 2  5 

Sticky  sand  and  clay 2  9 

Sand    and    "rotten   limestone"    (?)    (clay)    7  9 

Sticky  sand  and  clay   19  9 

Greensand 1  6 

Gray  sand,   with  water   129  10 

Third   sandstone    0  11 

Gray  sand,  with  water  and  streaks  of  "rotten  lime- 
stone   51  — 

Bluish  sand,  with  two  streaks  of  reddish  sand 32 

Bluish-gray   and   laminated   clay    27  6 

Dark-gray   sand,    with   water    26 

Bluish-gray  sand  and  clay,   with  water 59  8 

736  6 


The  interpretation  which  might  be  given  to  this'  record  is : 
Hypothetical  record  of  "great  well,"  Cahaba. 


Feet. 

Sands,   loams,    and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette 32.83 

Selma    chalk     380.83 

Eutaw   sands    227.66 

Tuscaloosa    sands    and    clays    145.16 


740.59 


This  might  possibly  serve  to  indicate  that  borings  into  the 
Tuscaloosa  formation  in  other  places  would  yield  a  greater 
flow  of  water  than  those  that  go  merely  into  the  Eutaw  sands. 
The  general  impression  among  the  well  borers  is  that  when  they 
reach  the  pink  kaolin  or  soapstone,  as  it  is  often  called,  no  in- 
crease in  the  supply  will  be  obtained  for  at  least  TOO  or  200  feet. 
Allowance  rriust,  of  course,  always  be  made  for  variations  In 
the  thickness  of  the  beds  of  massive  clay  occurring  in  the  Tus- 
caloosa formation,  since  they  are  sometimes  200  feet  or  more 
thick.  It  would  probably  be  worth  while  in  many  cases  to  con- 
tinue the  borings  through  these  clays  when  a  sufficient  supply 
of  water  has  not  been  found  above  them. 

From  Dr.  Winchell's  paper  above  cited  some  additional  rec- 
ords are  taken  of  the  old  artesian  wells  about  Selma  and  Ca- 
haba,  before  details  of  the  more  recent  borings  are  given.  Be- 

13 


194 


DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 


sides  the  "great  well,"  he  mentions  the  court-house  well  (depth, 
555  feet;  temperature,  75°),  and  the  well  at  Bell's  Hotel  (depth, 
400  feet;  temperature,  74°),  both  in  the  town  of  Cahaba,  where 
there  are  at  least  15  old  wells  flowing  10  to  30  gallons  per  min- 
ute and  varying  in  temperature  from  74°  to  76°.  Dr.  Wincheii 
also  records  a  well  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  near  Ca- 
haba, on  the  plantation  of  E.  P.  Watts,  bored  by  Crow  &  Read 
(depth,  275  feet;  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute)  ;  and  two  wells 
on  the  plantation  of  Freeman  King,  5  miles  below  Cahaba,  also 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  each  560  feet  deep  and  yield- 
ing 250  gallons  per  minute. 


SELMA  AND  VICINITY. 

Dr.  Wmchell  gives  records'  of  11  wells  in  Selma,  as  follows: 
Record  of  wells  in  Selma. 


Location. 

Depth. 

Yield. 

Borer. 

Junction  of  Main  and  Water  Sts... 
Main   street,   north   of  No.   1  
Main   street,    north   of  No.   2  
Residence    of   Abner   Jones  

Feet. 

470 
380 
334 
280 
330 
409 
360 
340 
350 
360 
Not  given 

Gallons 
per 
minute. 

100 
40 
12 
25 
230       ! 
300(7) 
100 
300 
300 
Not  given 

Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.    Campbell. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 
Mr.  Crow. 

Residence    of    J.    Lapsley    

Foundry 

Machine    shop           

Mr    Hall's 

Russell   &   Berry  brickyard 

Harrison's    brickyard     

Blevins  &  Edwards's   

Cavithon  Cotton  Mills  well,  Selma;  bored  in  1899  by  J.  I.  Hawk;  flows 
115  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  30  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock, 
250  feet;  well  starts  in  "rotten  limestone"  and  water  supply  is  from  Eutaw 
sands. 

City  waterworks  wells,  Selma.:  six  wells  ranging  in  depth  from  425  to 
500  feet,  all  of  which  overflow  or  are  pumped  into  reservoir;  bored  in 
1888;  temperature,  63°.  Four  5-inch  and  6-inch  wells,  with  depths  of 
from  500  to  700  feet,  are  located  at  main  station;  water  rises  3  feet  above 
the  surface,  but  is  pumped  for  distribution  by  the  air-lift  process;  total 
flow  from  four  wells,  38,000  gallons  per  hour.  The  following  analysis  by 
Mr.  Hodges  shows  the  composition  of  the  water  of  the  city  supply  at 
Selma: 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  195 

Analysis  of  water  from  city  waterworks  wells,  Selma. 

Parts  per  million. 

Potassium     (K)      5.4 

Sodium    (Na)    .. 12.0 

Magnesium     (Mg)      2.3 

Calcium     (Ca)     19.3 

Iron    and    alumina    (Fe2O3,    A12O3 1.0 

Chlorine    (Cl)     6.8 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)     9.6 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     86.5 

Silica    (SiO2)     33.0 

175.9 


City  waterworks  well,  No.  4,  Selma;  bored  by  John  Bicksler  in  1903; 
cased  to  bottom  with  6-inch,  8-inch  and  11-inch  casing  depth,  655  feet; 
estimated  flow,  300  gallons  per  minute;  boring  stopped  in  fourth  water. 

Record  of  city  waterworks  well  No.  4,  .Selma. 

Feet. 

Clay    0  —  14 

Sand    and    gravel    14  —  18 

Blue     rock     18—  34 

Hard    rock     34  —  35 

Blue    rock    35—165 

Greensand • 165  —  180 

Hard    rock    180  —  182 

Sand  and  water  (rising-  to  —9  feet) 182  —  272 

Marl     272  —  290 

Sand  and  gravel  290  —  302 

Red    marl     302—  310 

Soapstone    310  —  427 

Hard    rock    427  —  532 

Red    Marl     532  —  572 

Sand    and    gravel 572  —  655 


Well  at  the  council  chamber,  Selma;  depth,  620  feet;  gives  good  flow; 
starts  in  the  "rotten  limestone"  and  obtains  water  from  the  .Tusc-ilopsa; 
altitude,  121  feet;  temperature,  62°. 

C.  C.  Ferrill's  well,  1  mile  from  court-house,  Selma;  bored  in  1884 
by  Peyton  Hatch;  depth,  487  feet;  flow,  31C  gallons  per  minute;  tempe- 
rature, 68°;  starts  in  the  "rotten  limestone"  and  obtains  water  from 
the  Eutaw  sands  or  Tuscaloosa  formation;  depth  to  blue  rock,  125  feet; 
altitude,  i21  feet. 

Analysis  of  water  from  C.  C.  FerrilVs  well,  Selma. 
(Analyst,  R.  S.  Hodges.) 

Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    6.5 

Sodium    (Na)    : 6.9 

Magnesium    (Mg)     1.8 

Calcium     (Ca)     21.3 

Iron    and    alumina    (Fe2O3,    A12O3) 1.8 

Chlorine   (Cl)    3.4 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    6.4 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3) 88.2 

Silica  (Si02)   •• 18.6 

154.9 


196  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIF  DIVISION. 

E.  Oilman's  well,  Selma;  bored  in  1899  by  J.  I.  Hawk;  depth,  643  feet; 
flows  85  gallons  per  minute;  4-inch  casing  to  blue  rock,  balance  2  1-2-inch; 
water  carries  some  iron;  altitude,  121  feet. 

Record  of  E.  Oilman's  well,  Selma. 


Soil   0  —  28 

Blue    rock    28  —    90 

Sand   and   sand  rock    90  —  100 

Sand,  sandrock,  and  layers  of  soapstone    100  —  480 

White    clay    480  —  520 

Pink  kaolin   520  —  600 

Sand,   gravel,    some  red   clay    600  —  643 


H.  A.  Harralson's  well,   Selma;  bored  in  1875;  depth,  780  feet;  diameter, 

4  inches;  flow  small  and  charged  with  iron;  starts  in  "rotten  limestone" 
and  obtains  water  from  the  Tuscaloosa  formation. 

Hestell  Cotton  Mill  well,  Selma;  bored  by  Patrick  Oilman ;  depth,  465 
feet;  yield,  80  gallons  per  minute;  starts  in  "rotten  limestone"  and  ob- 
tains water  from  Eutaw  sands  and  Tuscaloosa  formation;  altitude,  121 
feet. 

McGill  well,  corner  of  Broad  street,  near  union  depot,  Selma;  flows  12 
gallons  per  minute  from  2-inch  pipe;  temperature,  68°;  altitude,  121  feet. 

Well  at  People's  Oil  Mills,  Selma;  bored  in  1900;  started  in  the  "rotten 
limestone"  and  obtained  water  in  Tuscaloosa  beds;  altitude,  121  feet. 
Record  unknown. 

Race  track  well,  Selma;  stated  to  be  3  inches  in  diameter  and  to  yield 
150  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°;  water  charged  with  iron;  starts 
in  "rotten  limestone"  and  obtains  water  from  the  Eutaw  sands  or  Tus- 
caloosa beds. 

J.  L.  Schweizer's  well,  at  residence,  two  blocks  northwest  of  Southern 
Railway  passenger  depot,  Selma;  bored  by  Hawk  in  December,  1900; 
depth,  450  feet,  casing,  400  feet;  2  1-2-inch  and  4-inch;  first  water  at  100 
feet,  stand  —10  feet;  second  water  at  210  feet,  stand  —2  feet;  third  water 
at  320  feet,  stand  3  feet  above  the  surface;  fourth  water  at  450  feet,  stand 

5  feet   above   the   surface;    depth   to    principal   supply,    450    feet;    flow,    20 
gallons  per  minute;   depth  to  blue  rock,  30  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock, 
65  feet. 

J.  M.  Baker's  well,  at  residence,  1410  Selma  street,  Selma;  bored  by 
Hawx  in  February,  1901;  depth,  665  feet;  casing,  2-inch,  3-inch  and  4-incn; 
first  water  at  100  feet,  stand  —20  feet;  second  water  at  210  feet,  stand 
—12  feet;  third  water  at  320  feet,  stand  —7- feet;  fourth  water  at  465  feet, 
stand  —2  feet;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  6t>0  feet;  flow,  150  gallons 
per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  35  feet;  thickness  of  blue  rock,  65  feet. 

Knox  Academy  well,  corner  of  North  and  Mabry  streets,  Selma;  bored 
by  Hawk  in  November,  1902;  depth,  615  feet;  casing,  615  feet,  2  1-2-inch 
and  4-inch;  first  water  at  100  feet,  stand  —20  feet;  second  water  at  210 
feet,  stand  —12  feet;  third  water- at  325  feet,  stand  —4  feet;  fourth  water 
at  450  leet,  stand  —4  feet;  depth  to  principal  water  supply,  610  feet; 
original  flow,  96  gallons  per  minute;  depth  to  blue  rock,  31  feet;  thickness 
of  blue  rock,  75  feet. 

There  are  perhaps  as  many  as  100  smaller  wells  in  the  city 
of  Selma  in  which  the  water  stands  near  the  surface  and  is 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

CALIFOP^ 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY    OF    ALABAMA.      UNDERGROUND    WATER    RESOURCES.      PLATE  XVI. 


A.    WELL  IN  ELKDALE  PARK,  SELMA,  DALLAS  COUNTY. 


•I. 


| 


B.  OLD  ROAD  SHOWING  GRAND  GULF  STRATA  CAIM>KI>  WITH  LAFAYETTK  NKAR 
(JAINESTOWN  FEUKY,   CLARKE  COTNTY. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  197 

raised  by  pumps;  but  no  reliable  records  could  be  obtained  of 
these. 

Buckley  Cotton  Oil  Mill  well,  Selma;  bored  by  John  Bicksler  in  1892; 
depth,  500  feet;  first  water,  at  G9  feet,  stood  at  —8  feet;  second  water,  at 
170  feet,  stood  at  surface;  third  water,  at  186  feet,  overflowed;  fourth 
water,  at  500  feet;  overflowed;  yield,  300  gallons  per  minute. 

Record  of  Buckley  Cotton  Oil  Mill  well,  Selma. 


Feet. 

Sand     0  —    20 

Gravel    20  —    28 

Soapstone    28  —    32 

Shell     32—    34 

Sand    34  —    38 

Lime    rock     38 —    41 

Sand     41  —    67 

Hard    rock     67  —    69 

Sand   and   water   (rising  to  —8)    69—    88 

Soapstone    ' 88—    98 

Soft     sandstone     98  —  170 

Sand   and   gravel   (overflow)    170  —  173 

Hard    rock     173  —  176 

Coal 176  —  177 

Sandstone    177  —  180 

Marl     180  —  186 

Sand    (overflow)     186  —  190 

Soapstone    190  —  196 

Sandstone    196  —  230 

Red    sand    230  —  242 

Sand     242  —  280 

Rock    280  —  288 

Sand    and    gravel    (water   increasing) 288  —  500 


Well  at  Elkdale  Park,  Selma,  (Plate  XVI.  A.)  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 24,  Township  17,  Range  10;  bored  by  John  Bicksler  in  1902;  depth  656 
feet;  first  water  at  165  feet,  stood  at  —7  feet;  second  water,  at  375  feet, 
overflowed;  third  water,  at  600  feet,  flows  300  gallons  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, 72°.  Mr.  Bicksler  thinks  that  the  flow  has  increased  to  400  gal- 
lons in  two  years. 

Record  of  well  at  Elkdale  Park,  Selma. 


Feet. 

Clay  0  —    18 

(?) 18  —    34 

Soapstone    34  —    55 

Greensand    55  —    83 

Blue    rock     83  —  165 

Sand   (water  rising  to  —7  feet)    165  —  170 

Soapstone    170  —  195 

Blue    marl    195  —  202 

Marl 202  —  375 

Gravel  and  sand   (overflow)    375  —  384 

Rock    384  —  386 

Sand    386  —  395 

Red    marl    395  —  420 

(?)     420  —  600 

Sand  and  water    600  —  656 


198  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Andrew  Gill,  of  Selma,  is  authority  for  the  following:  On 
his  place  two  blocks  west  of  the  ice  factory,  is'  a  well  bored  in 
1885,  which  ordinarily  flowed  10  to  15  gallons  per  minute,  but 
when  the  ice-factory  well  was  bored  the  flow  was  weakened.  A 
pump  is  used  in  the  ice-factory  well  and  when  this  is  in  opera- 
tion the  Gill  well  ceases  flowing  entirely.  The  same  is  true  of 
two  other  wells  in  the  vicinity,  one  owned  by  Mr.  Schweizer 
and  another  by  Eugene  Robbins.  Mr.  Schweizer's  well  is  4 
years  old,  Robbin's  well  18  years,  and  the  ice-factory  well  18 
years.  Several  years  ago  Proctor  &  Gamble  bored  a  well  at  the 
cotton-oil  mill.  At  about  450  feet  they  got  an  overflow  which 
caused  the  three  wells  mentioned  above  to  stop,  also  C.  C.  Fer- 
rill's  well,  250  yards  southwest  of  the  oil  mill,  and  a  well  at  the 
Hestell  Cotton  Mills,  one-quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the  oil-mil) 
well.  The  wells  all  stopped  entirely  until  Proctor  &  Gamble 
cased  against  the  45o-foot  water,  when  they  began  to  flow 
again.  When  Colonel  Abbott  had  the  Elkdale  Park  well  bored, 
in  1902,  several  wells'  in  the  vicinity  were  shut  off  and  the} 
have  never  flowed  since  that  time. 

Well  at  Summer-field  Oil  Mills,  Selma;  bored  in  1899;  depth,  465  feet; 
diameter,  6  inches;  flow,  100  gallons  per  minute;  cased  to  blue  rock; 
starts  in  "rotten  limestone"  and  obtains  water  from  the  Eutaw  sands 
or  from  the  Tuscaloosa  formation;  altitude,  121  feet. 

Well  on  Welch  plantation,  3  miles  northwest  of  Selma;  bored  in  1899 
by  J.  I.  Hawk;  flow,  18  gallons  per  minute;  depth,  424  feet.  Blue  rock  from 
18  to  138  feet,  balance  sand  and  soapstone. 

Well  at  Durands  Bend,  about  6  mi]es  northwest  of  Benton;  in  a  dilapi- 
dated condition  and  forms  a  kind  of  spring;  flow  was  probably  10  or 
15  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Andrew  Gill's  well,  7  miles  west  of  Selma;  bored  in  1899  to  a  depth  of 
365  feet;  yield  by  natural  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute;  starts  in  "rotten 
limestone"  and  obtains  water  from  the  Eutaw  sands. 

Well  owned  by  Mrs.  L.  R.  Jones,  of  Selma,  3  miles  southwest  of  Selma, 
in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  34,  Township  17,  Range  10; 
estimated  flow,  SO  gallons  per  minute. 

Well  owned  by  Mrs.  Carroll,  of  Montevallo,  3  miles  west  of  Selma,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  26,  Township  17,  Range  10;  flow, 
2  gallons  per  minute;  reported  to  have  had  much  stronger  flow  until  a 
well  was  bored  one-half  mile  east. 

Wells  on  Hunter  place:  No:  1,  5  miles  southwest  of  Selma,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  16,  Range  10;  20.0  yards  east 
of  the  Southern  Railway;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  GS0. 
No.  2,  1  mile  north  of  No.  1,  in  the  N.  vV.  quarter  Section  4,  Township 
16;  Range  10;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  68°. 

Well  on  Sanders  place,  4  1-2  miles  north  of  Cahaba,  5  miles  southwest 
of  Selma,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  1(J, 
Range  10;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  1  foot  above  the  ground; 
temperature,  70°. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  199 

ALONG     THE    LOUIS  VSLLE     AND     NASHVILLE    RAILROAD. 

Well  at  crossing  of  Cahaba  River;  depth,  590  feet;  diameter,  6  inches; 
water  rises  22  feet  above  the  surface;  yield,  80  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  70°;  reported  in  1899. 

Well  at  Salt  Marsh  ("Sugar  Bottom"),  1  mile  east  of  Beloit,  on  South- 
ern Railway,  in  fraction  B,  N.  E. '  quarter  Section  14,  Township  16, 
Range  9;  flow,  20  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  5  feet  above  the  ground; 
temperature,  .-J. 

Two  other  wells  are  recorded  on  the  line  of  this  railroad,  but  without 
sufficient  notes  of  exact  locality:  No.  1,  depth,  487  feet;  diameter,  6 
inches;  water  rises  28  feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  110  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  68°.  No.  2,  depth,  600  feet;  diameter,  6  inches;  flow,  80 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rtees  16  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  72°. 


ORRVILLE    AND    VICINITY. 

Town  well,  Orrville;  bored  by  a  negro  in  1900;  depth,  635  feet;  water 
stands  at  —17  feet;  first  water  at  404  feet;  second  water  at  635  feet,  stands 
at  —17  feet.  Record:  Soil,  0-50  feet;  blue  rock,  50-401  feet;  sand  rock, 
with  water- worn  pebbles,  401-404  feet.  Steam  pump  used  and  water  was 
not  lowered. 

Ellis  &  Dunaway's  well,  Orrville,  300  yards  north  of  town  well,  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  2,  Township  15,  Range  8;  bored  by  John  Bicks- 
ler  in  1902;  depth,  1088  feet;  first  water  at  545  feet;  second  water,  at  73'J 
feet,  rose  1  foot  above  the  surface;  third  water  not  given;  fourth  water, 
at  1088  feet,  stood  at  — 11  feet.  100,000  gallons  per  day  have  been  pumped 
from  the  well  and  the  level  not  lowered. 

Well  on  J.  F.  Milhous  place,  3  miles  west  of  Orrville,  on  south  side 
of  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railway,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  32, 
Township  1G,  Range  8;  flow,  6  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above 
the  surface;  temperature,  73°. 

MARTIN'S  STATION  AND  VICINITY,  LOUISVILLE  &  NASHVILLE  RAILROAD. 

Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  well,  Martins  Station,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  31,  Township  16,  Range  8;  bored  by  Bicksler 
in  1900;  depth,  755  feet;  water  rises  27  1-2  feet  above  surface,  and  keeps 
railroad  tank  full;  temperature,  76  1-2°. 

A.  J.  Martin's  wells:  No.  1,  three-fourths  mile  northwest  of  Martins 
Station,  in  Section  31,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute  ;v 
water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  75°.  No.  2,  1  mile 
west  of  Eleanor,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  36,  Township 
16,  Range  7;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  ris  s  3  feet  above  tne  sur- 
face; temperature,  74°. 

Craig  Smith's  well,  4  1-2  miles  west  of  Martins  Station;  old  well,  in 
decay. 

E.  B.  Martin's  wells:  No.  1,  1  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Martins  Station, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  1,  Township  15,  Range  7;  an 
old  flowing  well;  flow,'  5  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  the 
ground;  temperature,  74°.  No.  2,  one-fourth  mile  southwest  of  Martins 
Station,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  31,  Township  16,  Range 
8;  very  weak  stream;  pump  used;  temperature,  70°. 

Phil  Milhous's  old  wells:     No.  1,  3  miles  southwest  of  Martins  Station, 


200  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec.  2,  Township  15,  Range  7;  flow,  3 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  77°. 
No.  2,  one-half  mile  northwest  of  No.  1,  near  center  of  Sec.  35,  Township 
16,  Range  7;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the 
surface;  temperature,  7.^°.  No.  3,  flows  a  very  weak  stream,  no  partic- 
ulars. 

Mrs.  F.  M.  Hunter's  well,  1  1-2  miles  south  of  Martins  Station,  in 
Section  7,  Township  15,  Range  18;  old  flowing  well;  yield,  6  gallons  per 
minute. 

Well  on  Wilson  place  (owned  by  A.  J.  Martin)  1  mile  norta  of  Mar- 
tins Station,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  30,  Township  16, 
Range  8;  flow,  3  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  5  feet  above  the 
surface;  temperature,  71  1-2°. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Furniss's  old  well,  2  miles  southwest  of  Martins  Station,  in 
the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  11,  Township  15,  Range  7;  now,  5  gallons  per 
minute. 

NEAR    LINES    OF    SOUTHERN    RAILWAY. 

Wells  on  Elijah  Bell  place:  No.  1,  1  1-4  miles  south  of  Brown's  Station, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  17,  Range  7; 
flow,  one-eighth  gallon  per  minute;  water  r  ses  4  feet  above  surface; 
temperature,  69°.  No.  2,  one-half  mile  southeast  of  No.  1,  in  the  N.  W. 
quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  I/,  Range  7;  flows;  no  record. 

A.  C.  Davidson's  well,  1  mile  west  of  Brows  Station,  in  the  N.  ni.  quar- 
ter N.  W.  quarter  Section  21,  Township  17,  Kange  7;  flow  used  for  ooiler 
in  sawmill;  could  not  be  measured. 

Well  on  Clark  place,  near  Browns  Station,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
34,  Township  17,  Range  7:  old  well;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water 
rises  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  70  1-2°. 

Wells  on  Nelson  place:  No.  1,  2  miles  southwest  of  Brov/ns  Station, 
in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  29,  Township  17,  Range  7;  flow,  2  gallons 
per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  70°.  No. 
2,  one- fourth  mile  west  of  No.  1;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  water 
rises  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69°.  No.  3,  one-fourth  mile 
west  of  No.  1;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above 
the  surface;  temperature,  69°.  No.  4,  one-fourth  mile  east  of  No.  1;  flow, 
3  gallons  per  minute. 

Wells  on  Turner  Bell  place,  4  miles  southeast  of  Browns  Station:  No. 
1,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S  .W.  quarter  Section  2,  Township  16,  Range  7; 
flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  ground;  temperature, 
69°  No.  2,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  2,  Township  li>. 
Range  7;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface: 
temperature,  70°. 

The  following  wells  near  Brown's  Station  were  inaccessible,  and  no 
records  are  available.  On  the  Buck  Bell  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E. 
quarter  Section  3,  Township  16,  Range  7; 

the  Parnell  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  35,  Town- 
ship 17,  Range  7; 

the  Bland  place,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  26,  Township  17,  Range  7: 
the  A.  C.  Coats  place,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  26,  Township  17, 
Range  7. 

Kendrick  Brothers'  wells,  Massilon:  No.  1,  at  Massilon,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  17,  Range  8;  bored  by  Pey- 
ton Hatch;  depth,  280  feet;  casing,  45  feet,  4-inch;  water  stands  at  —  -J'i 
feet;  windmill  used;  first  water  at  280  feet.  No.  2,  at  Massilon,  in  the 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  201 

S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  17,  Range  8;  bored  in 
1901  by  Tom  Reid;  depth,  280  feet;  casing,  35  feet,  4-inch;  water  stands  at 
—45  feet;  probably  stopped  on  rock  just  above  second  water.  No.  3. 
300  yards  east  of  No.  1;  old  well;  depth,  280(?)  feet;  water  stands  at  — :!2 
feet.  No.  4,  700  yards  east  of  No.  1;  old  well;  depth  280(?)  feet;  water 
stands  at  —24  feet.  No.  5,  1  1-4  miles  east  of  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter 
N.  E.  quarter  Section  21,  Township  17,  Range  8;  bored  by  Tom  Reid  in 
1898;  depth,  285  feet;  water  stands  at  —45  feet.  T;O.  t>,  2  1-2  miles  southeast 
of  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  17,  Range  8;  old 
flowing  well;  no  record.  No.  7,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 20,  Township  17,  Range  8;  bored  in  1901  by  Tom  Reid;  depth,  280  feet; 
water  stands  at  —45  feet.  No.  8,  1  1-2  miles  northwest  of  No.  1;  old  flowing 
well;  no  record.  No.  9,  1  3-i  miles  northwest  from  No.  1;  old  flowing  well; 
no  record. 

Wells  on  Jones  estate,  1  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Massilon;  4  old  wells, 
now  in  decay;  pumps  used. 

W.  H.  Kendrick's  wells,  3  miles  southwest  of  Massilon:  No.  1,  in 
the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  31,  Township  17,  Range  8,  on 
top  of  hill;  water  stands  at  —32  feet.  No.  2,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W. 
quarter  Section  31,  Township  17,  Range  8,  at  foot  of  hill,  100  yards  north- 
west of  No.  1  and  35  feet  lower;  flows  very  weak  stream.  No.  3,  S.  JU. 
quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  31,  Township  17,  Range  8,  150  yards  east 
of  No.  1;  water  stands  at  —20  feet. 

Well  on  S.  W.  John's  place,  1  mile  west  of  Massilon,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  17,  Range  8;  old  well;  flowing  5  gal- 
lons per  minute;  temperature,  74° 

C.  O.  Jones's  well,  near  Massilon.  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  30,  Township  17,  Range  8;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises 
to  1  foot  above  the  ground;  temperature  70°. 

Wells  on  Mrs.  King's  place,  near  Massilon:  No.  1,  1  1-4  miles  west  of 
Massilon,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  17. 
Range  8;  flow,  1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  «>  feet  above  surface; 
temperature,  72°.  No.  2,  2  miles  west  of  Massilon,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  25,  Township  17,  Range  7;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute; 
water  rises  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  69°.  No.  3,  three- 
fourths  mile  west  of  No.  1,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
30,  Township  17..  Range  8;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet 
ai.ove  the  surface;  temperature,  69°.  No.  4,  at  house,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter 
S.  W.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  17,  Range  8;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  69°.  No.  5,  at  house,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  19,  Township  37,  Range  8;  flow.  1  galon  per  minute. 

Mrs.  E.  W.  Fort's  well,  1  mile  north  of  Marion  Junction,  in  the  N.  E. 
quarter  Section  14,  Township  17,  Range  8;  depth,  900  feet;  water  stands 
at  — 1>  feet. 

Mitchell  we.,,  owned  by  H.  P.  Randall,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quar- 
ter Section  22,  Township  17,  Range  8;  estimated  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  71°. 

Well  on  Harrell  place,  2  1-2  miles  southwest,  from  Marion  Junction;  in 
the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  17,  Range  8;  owned  by  Ken- 
drick  Brothers,  of  Massilon;  flow,  1-2  gallon  per  minute;  temperature, 
68°.  This  well  is  located  somewhat  lower  than  the  Mitchell  well. 

Pegues  well,  3  miles  south  of  west  of  Marion  Junction,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  29,  Tovrnship  17,  Range  8;  flow  has  de- 
creased and  water  stands  at  surface. 

Rascoe  well,  3  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Marion  Junction,  in  Section  k,8, 
Township  17,  Range  8;  owned  by  M.  1"\  Smith,  of  Marion  Junction:  flow 
1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  69°. 


202  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  on  Overstreet  place,  4  miles  southwest  from  Marion  Junction,  in 
Section  33,  Township  17,  Range  8;  old  well;  flow  ,2  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises -2  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  70°. 

Wells  on  Ullman  place,  owned  by  Mudhall  Smith:  No.  1,  4  1-2  milo? 
southwest  of  Marion  Junction;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises 
2  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°.  No.  2,  on  old  mill  site,  one-hall 
mile  east  of  No.  1,  south  of  railroad;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  watef 
rises  2  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  69°.  No.  3,  no  record;  does  nox 
flow.  All  old  wells. 

Will  Moore's  old  wells:  No.  1,  4  miles  west  of  south  of  Marion  Junc- 
tion; flow,  4  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  surface;  tem- 
perature, 68°  .  No.  2,  one-fourth  miles  east  of  No.  1;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  69°.  Nos.  3  and  -1; 
no  record. 

Dave   Taylor's  well,   5  1-2  miles   south   of  Marion   Junction;   no   record. 

Henry  Stubbs's  well,  5  miles  southeast  of  Marion  Junction,   in  Section 

33,  Township  17,  Range  9;   bored  in  1898  by  Fat  Gilmer;   depth,   260  feet; 
water  stands  at  —7  1-2  feet.     Record:     Soil,  0-8  feet;  blue  rock,  8-240  feet; 
rock,  240-242  feet;  sand,  242-260  feet.     Stopped  in  first  water. 

Well  on  Crenshaw  place,  5  miles  south  of  Marion  Junction,  owned  by  Dr. 
Jones,  of  Selma;  bored  in  1904  by  Gus.  Somers;  no  record. 

Eulow  well,  4  miles  southwest  of  Marion  Junction,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  3,  Township  16,  Range  8;  owned  by  J.  W.  Wallace, 
of  Birmingham;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above  the 
surface;  temperature,  68°. 

Well  on  Woodruff  place,  3  miles  southwest  of  Marion  Junction,  Section 

34,  Township  17,   Range  8;  owned  by  Mrs.   S.   E.  Woodruff  of  Selma;   old 
well;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  surface;   tem- 
perature, 68°. 

Well  on  Bean  place,  2  miles  west  of  south  of  Marion  Junction,  in  the 
S.  W.  quarter  Section  26,  Township  17,  Range  8;  owned  by  Dr.  A.  W. 
Jones,  of  Selma;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above 
ground;  temperature,  69°. 

Well  of  Tom  Harrell  (colored),  2  miles  southwest  of  Marion  Junction, 
in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  17,  Range  8;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  68  1-2°. 

Mrs.  L.  G.  Fort's  wed,  at  station,  Marion  Junction;  bored  about  1890; 
depth,  250  feet;  diameter,  3  inches;  water  stands  at  —40  feet;  pump  used. 

The  other  wells  at  Marion  Junction  having  the  same  record  as  Mrs. 
Fort's,  are  those  of  H.  P.  Randall,  M.  F.  Smith,  ri.  A.  Brice,  Dr.  J.  ,M. 
McDonald,  C.  E.  Fort,  J.  B.  Moore,  Mrs.  M.  F.  Fort,  P.  B.  Harrell,  and 
Pat  Gilmore 

Sam  Bryce's  wells:  No.  1,  3  miles  northeast  of  Marion  Junction,  on 
north  side  of  Marion  Junction  and  Selma  road,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E. 
quarter  Section  7,  Township  17,  Range  9;  old  well;  flow,  1  gallon  per  min- 
ute; temperature,  69°.  No.  2,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section 
7,  Township  17,  Range  9;  old  well;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water 
rises  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  68  1-2°. 

Pennell  wells,  both  old;  No.  1  does  not  flow;  No.  2  flows  3  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  70°. 

Reuben  Tubbs's  well,  on  Harrell  place,  3  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Marion 
Junction,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  17,  Township  17, 
Range  9;  bored  in  1860;  depth,  250(?)  feet;  flow,  3  1-2  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  3  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  69  1-2°. 


WATERS   OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  203 

W.  A.  Cochrane's  well,  one-fourth  mile  east  of  J.'  Chisholm's  well  No. 
2;  old  well;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  3  reet  above 
surface;  temperature,  66°. 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  are  in  this  neighborhood  (north  and 
northeast  of  Marion  Junction)  several  wells  which  do  not  flow,  on  places 
belonging  to  S.  H.  White,  on  the  Ward  tract,  and  on  the  McCreary  plact-. 
It  may  be  remarked  here  that  some  of  the  wells  credited  to  Perry  County 
may  be  in  Dallas,  as  they  are  close  to  the  County  line. 

Wells  on  Johnson  place:  No.  1,  1  3-4  miles  southeast  of  Harrell's, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  17,  Range  9; 
owned  by  J.  W.  Wallace  of  Birmingham;  flow,  8  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  69°.  No.  2,  300  yards 
east  of  No.  1,  estimated  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 

Well  on  Moore  place,  4  miles  southeast  of  Harrell's  in  the  N.  W.  quar- 
ter S.  E.  quarter  Section  28,  Township  17,  Range  9;  owned  by  E.  L.  Moore, 
of  Marion  Junction;  old  well;  estimated  flow,  15  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  10  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69  1-2°. 

Well  on  Wade  place  (W.  A.  Cochrane  estate),  3  miles  southeast  of 
Harrell's,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  29,  Township  17, 
Range  9;  in  a  ravine  8  feet  deep;  old  well;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  66  1-2°. 

Wells  on  Gill  place:  No.  1,  5  miles  southeast  of  Harrell's,  in  the  S.  E. 
half  S.  E.  quarter  Section  3,  Township  16,  Range  9;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature  68°.  No.  2, 
50  yards  north  of  No.  1,  and  on  hillside  30  feet  higher;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  temperature,  68°.  No.  3,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 10,  Township  16,  Range  9;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  2 
feet  above  the  surface,  70°.  All  old  wells. 

Well  on  Phil  Milhous  place,  1  mile  a  little  east  of  south  from  Gill  well 
No.  1,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  11,  Township  16,  Range 
9;  old  well;  estimated  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  6  feet 
above  the  surface;  temperature,  68°. 

Town  well,  Eleanor,  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  19,  Township 
16,  Range  8;  bored  by  A.  A.  Simms  in  1895;  depth,  510  feet;  casing,  3  1-2- 
inch;  first  water  at  510  feet  overflowed  1  1-2  feet  above  surface;  original 
flow.  1  gallon  per  minute,  1  foot,  above  surface;  no  longer  flows. 

P.  Walter  Milhous's  wells:  No.  1,  three-fourths  mile  west  of  Eleanor, 
in  the  S.  half  N.  W.  quarter  Section  24,  Township  16,  Range  7;  bored  in 
1870;  depth,  610  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  one-sixth  gallon  per  min- 
ute; water  rises  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  70  1-2°.  No.  2, 
1  1-4  miles  northwest  of  Eleanor,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 24,  Township  16,  Range  7;  bored  about  1880;  depth,  450  feet;  diameter 
4  inches;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  sur- 
face; temperature,  70°.  No.  2  well  is  about  25  feet  higher  than  No.  1. 

J.  N.  Walker's  well,  one-fourth  mile  east  of  Eleanor,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter 
S.  W.  quarter  Section  19,  Township  16,  Range  8;  old  well;  depth,  525  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  1  foot  above  sur- 
face; temperature,  69°. 

vv^ell  on  Josh  Hurt  place  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section 
5,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  one-fourth  gallon  per  minute;  tempera- 
ture, 72°. 

Wells  on  Chambers  place:  No.  1,  in  the  S.  &.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  8,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  4  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
70°.  Nos.  2  and  3  are  near  No.  1  and  ceased  flowing  a  number  of  years 
ago.  All  are  old  wells. 


204  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  on  King  place,  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section.  18,  Township 
16,  Range  7;  owned  by  Mr.  Potter;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises 
3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  73°. 

Well  on  Roscoe  place;  old  well:  flows  very  weak  stream,  no  record  avail- 
able. Well  on  Hempshaw  place,  1  1-2  miles  west  of  Boguechitto;  flow  ? 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  71°. 

Wells  on  Moss  Grove  place,  4  miles  west  of  Boguechitto;  owned  by  Col. 
S.  W.  John.  No.  1,  flows,  1  gallon  per  minute;  temperature,  70  1-2°.  No. 
2,  three-fourths  mile  west  of  No.  1;  bored  by  ^r.  Potter  in  1883;  depth, 
1000  feet;  casing,  ,-i-inch;  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  first  water  at  52U 
feet,  stand  —18  feet;  second  water  at  740  feet,  stand  —11  feet;  third  water 
at  1000  feet,  stand  8  feet  above  surface. 

Record  of  well  No.  2,  on  Moss  Grove  Place,  near  Bougechitto. 


Feet. 

Soil 0—      22 

Blue    rock     22—    518 

Rock 518—520 

Sand   and   water    520  —    739 

Hard   rock    739  —    740 

Sand    740  —    799 

Sand    rock    799  —  1000 


No.  3,  1  mile  west  of  No.  1;  flow,  one  half  gallon  per  minute;  water 
rises  2  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  71°.  No.  4,  I  1-4  mile  north- 
west of  No.  1;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the 
surface;  temperature,  71°.  No.  5  and  0  are  decreasing  in  flow,  in  decay. 

Dr.  E.  B.  Moseley's  wells:  No.  1,  one-fourth  mile  west  of  Boguechitto, 
in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  7,  Township  16,  Range  8;  old 
well;  no  longer  flows.  No.  2,  150  yards  west  of  No.  1,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter 
S.  E.  quarter  Section  7,  Township  16,  Range  8;  bored  about  1845;  flow. 
1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  71°. 
No.  3,  one-fourth  mile  east  of  No.  1,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  17,  Township  16,  Range  8;  »bored  by  a  negro  in  1893;  depth,  740 
feet;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface; 
temperature,  71°. 

Well  on  William  Moore  place,  2  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Boguechitto;  old 
well;  no  longer  flows. 

Well  on  Strong  Johnson  place,  1  1-2  miles  northeast  of  Boguechitto: 
old  well;  no  longer  flows. 

Well  on  Wilson  place,  2  miles  west  of  Boguechitto;  flow,  2  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  71°. 

Well  on  Carmichacl  place,  Elias  Gray  present  owner,  3  miles  west  of 
Boguechitto;  old  well;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above 
ground;  temperature,  71°. 

W.  N.  Carson's  well,  on  Old's  place,  1  1-2  miles  south  of  Boguechitto; 
in  the  W.  half  N.  W.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow, 
8  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet"  above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 

E.  M.  Overstreet's  well,  1  1-2  miles  north  of  Boguechitto,  in  the  E. 
half  N.  E.  quarter  Section  5,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  2  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 

W.  N.  Carson's  well,  3  miles  southeast  of  Boguechitto;  in  the  N.  LL 
half  N.  E.  half  Section  28,  Township  16,  Range  8;  bored  about  1894  by 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  205 

negroes;  depth,  420  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water 
rises  2  feet  above  surface,  temperature,  69°.  Record:  Clay,  0-30  feet; 
blue  rock,  30-400  feet. 

Mrs.  Rainey's  well,  1  1-2  miles  east  of  Boguechitto,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter 
S.  E.  quarter  Section  16,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  one-half  gallon  per 
minute;  water  rises  2  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 

Bill  Hatch's  well,  three-fourths  mile  southeast  of  Boguechitto,  in  the 
S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  17,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  4 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 

George  Washington's  well,  one-half  mile  west  of  south  of  Boguechitto, 
in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  18,  Township  16,  Range  8; 
bored  in  1882;  depth,  over  400  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  3  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  71  1-2°. 

John  Moore's  well,  three-fourth  mile  south  of  Boguechitto,  in  the  N. 
W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  17,  Township  16,  Range  8;  depth,  475 
feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet 
above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 

Well  on  Adam  Edwards  place,  cne-half  mile  south  of  Boguechitto, 
in  the  N.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter  Section  18,  Township  16,  Range  X; 
bored  in  1879;  depth,  475  feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  3  gallons  per  min- 
ute; water  rises  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°.  Record:  Clay, 
0-14;  blue  rock,  14-470  feet;  sand  rock,  470-476  feet;  overflows  at  476  feet. 

Well  on  Sydney  Edwards  place,  three-fourths  mile  north  of  east  of 
Boguechitto,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  9,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow, 
2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  3  feet  above  ground;  temperature,  69°. 

Wells  on  Dedman  place,  1  mile  north  of  Boguechitto:  'No.  1,  in  the 
E.  half  N.  E.  quarter  Section  5,  Township  16,  Range  7;  flow,  one-third 
gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  4  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  70°. 
Nos.  2  and  3  no  longer  flow. 

Andrew  Ridgeway's  well,  on  Harvey  Hurt  place,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
N.  W.  quarter  Section  5,  Township  16,  Range  7;  water  barely  flows.  On 
this  place  are  two  other  wells;  both  old  and  no  longer  flowing. 

Wash  Smith's  well,  Boguechitto,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter 
Section  6,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises 
4  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  72°.  .  , 

Ebo  Smith's  well,  three-fourths  mile  northwest  of  Boguechitto,  in  the 
S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section  7,  Township  16,  Range  8;  flow,  one- 
fourth  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  1  foot  above  well  mouth;  tempera- 
ture, 69°. 

EAST   OF   ALABAMA   RIVER. 

Well  on  Watts  place,  4  miles  west  of  Sardis;  owned  by  John  Stanfieid; 
flow,  15  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  surface;  tempe- 
rature, 72°. 

Well  on  Duke  place,  4  1-2  miles  west  of  Sardis;  owned  by  W.  W. 
Burns  of  Selma;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above 
surface;  temperature,  72°. 

Well  on  Stevenson  place,  5  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Sardis;  owned  by 
W.  J.  Stevenson  of  Berlin;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  12 
feet  above  surface;  temperature,  74°. 

Wells  on  Reese  place:  No.  1,  at  Kings  Landing,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
S.  E.  quarter  Section  20,  Township  15,  Range  10;  estimated  flow,  75  gal- 
lons per  minute;  water  rises  to  7  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature, 


20o  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

76°.  No.  2,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  29,  Township  15, 
Range  10;  estimated  flow,  30  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  15  above 
the  ground;  temperature,  77°. 

Well  on  Middle  place,  3  miles  west  of  Kings  Landing,  in  the  N.  K. 
quarter  S.  B.  quarter  Section  23,  Township  15,  Range  9;  owned  by  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Reese,  of  Berlin;  flow,  12  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  76  1-2°. 

Well  on  Wood  place,  3  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Kings  Landing,  in  the 
S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  27,  Township  15,  range  9;  flow,  30 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  5  feet  above  the  surface;  tempera- 
ture, 76  1-2°. 

Well  on  Molette  place,  3  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Kings  Landing,  in  the 
N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  1,  Township  14,  Range  9;  flow,  10 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature, 
77  1-2°. 

Well  on  Milhous  place,  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Kings  Landing,  in  the 
S.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  36,  Township  15,  Range  9;  flow,  10 
gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature, 
77°. 

Well  on  Creek  place,  2  1-2  miles  southeast  of  Kings  Landing;  Sec- 
tion 33,  Township  15,  Range  10;  flow,  40  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises 
to  6  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  77°. 


LOWNDES  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATUEES. 

The  geological  structure  of  Lowndes  County  is  quite  similar 
to  that  of  Dallas  County  on  the  one  side  and  Montgomery 
County  on  the  other,  and  the  conditions  of  water  supply  are 
practically  the  same.  Very  few  well  records,  however,  have 
been  obtained  from  Lowndes  County. 

The  outcropping  Cretaceous  rocks  are  the  Selma  chalk  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  County  and  the  Ripley  formation  in 
the  southern.  Both  of  these  are  mantled  by  the  pebbles  and 
red  loam  of,  the  Lafayette.  The  interstream  areas  are  high, 
flat  table-lands',  covered  by  the  Lafayette  deposits,  where  the 
best  of  the  freestone  water  is  obtainable  from  shallow  wells 
and  hillside  springs. 

Throughout  the  northern  half  of  the  county  the  conditions 
for  artesian  wells  should  be  favorable,  but  in  the  southern  halt 
the  borings  would  necessarily  be  very  deep,  since  they  would 
have  to  pierce  the  entire  thickness'  of  the  Selma  chalk. 

The  Ripley  beds  form  a  belt  5  or  6  miles  wide  along  the 
southern  border  of  the  county.  They  are  composed  of  cal- 
careous sands  interstratified  with  limestone  ledges.  This  ar- 
rangement of  the  strata  produces,  in  the  process  of  denuda- 
tion, a  very  uneven  and  rugged  country.  In  other  counties 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  207 

very  few  wells  have  been  bored  in  territory  formed  by  tlic 
Ripley  beds,  and  the  writer  knows  of  none  in  Lowndes  County. 

ARTESIAN  RECORDS. 
The  following  are  the  records  for  the  entire  county. 

SCOTT    HILL. 

W.  D.  McCurdy's  well,  4  miles  west  of  Lowndesboro,  on  a  high  hill; 
bored  by  Bicksler  in  1903;  water  stands  at  —140  feet;  boring  ends  prob- 
ably in  Tuscaloosa  beds. 

Record  of  W.  D.  McCurdy's  well,  Scott  Hill, 


Feet. 

Clay     0—    40 

Blue  rock    40 — 475 

Hard   rock    475  —  477 

Sand    477  —  525 

Blue    marl    525  —  575 

Rock    575  —  578 

Soft   sandstone    578  —  625 

Quicksand    625  —  680 

Blue   clay 680  —  700 


LOWNDESBORO    STATION. 

C.  M.  Smith's  well  bored  by  A.  Ockenden  in  18C9;  depth,  700  feet;  cased 
to  bottom  with  2-inch,  3-inch,  4-inch  casing;  water  stands  at  —23  feet; 
4000  gallons  have  been  pumped  out  in  a  day  without  lowering  the  level; 
does  not  flow;  first  water  at  150  feet,  stand  —75  feet,  salty;  second  water 
at  450  feet,  stand  —75  feet;  third  water  at  700  feet,  stand  —23  feet;  boring 
probably  ends  in  Tuscaloosa  beds. 

Record  of  C.  M.  Smith's  well,  Lowndesboro  Station. 


Feet. 

Clay    and    gravel     0  —    15 

Blue    rock    15  —  150 

Sand    150  —  155 

Clay  155  —  450 

Sand    450  —  455 

Clay  and  sand   455  —  700 


T.  J.  Hairston's  well,  in  Section  17  or  18,  Township  14,  Range  16  E; 
bored  by  Ingraham;  depth,  562  feet;  water  stands  at  —80  feet;  raised  by 
Marsh  steam  pump,  delivering  2  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  it  is  thought 
that  a  larger  pump  would  not  exhaust  or  lower  the  water;  water  has 
a  decided  taste,  thought  to  be  of  soda. 


208  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION.    • 

HAYNEVII.LE. 

One   well   800   feet   deep;    water   stands    at   —80   feet;    raised    by    steam 
pump. 

MONTGOMERY  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

Montgomery  County  lies  altogether  within  the  limits'  of  the 
Cretaceous  beds.  The  Eutaw  division,  .consisting  of  yellowish 
and  reddish  cross-bedded  sands  with  clay  partings,  is  well 
exposed  in  the  railroad  cuts  and  along  the  river  bank  at 
Montgomery,  and  occupies  that  part  of  the  county  east  of  the 
city  lying  between  Alabama  River  on  the  north  and  the  line 
of  the  Central  of  Georgia  Railway  on  the  south.  In  the  lower 
townships  of  the  county  the  strata  of  the  Ripley  occupy  the 
surface,  while  all  the  intermediate  area  is  underlain  by  the 
Selma  chalk. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

In  the  Eutaw  and  Ripley  territories  the  sandy  strata  serve  as 
water-bearers,  and  in  all  three  divisions  the  overlying  Lafay- 
ette sa&ds,  pebbles,  and  loams  still  remain  in  places  on  the  di- 
vides, making  level  plateaus  about  400  feet  above  tide  level. 
In  the  Lafayette  areas  an'  abundant  supply  of  good  water  is 
obtained  from  wells  and  springs.  As  is  the  case  elsewhere, 
the  Selma  chalk,  or  "rotten  limestone,"  is  unfavorable  to  the 
existence  of  good  surface  waters  and  consequently  the  great- 
est number  of  artesian  wells  are  found  in  the  area  of  its  out- 
crop. 

While  the  strata  of  the  Tus'caloosa  formation  do  not  appear 
at  the  surface  within  the  limits  of  Montgomery  County,  they 
outcrop  in  the  bordering  counties  of  Autauga  and  Elmore,  and 
undoubtedly  underlie  the  Eutaw  sands  south  of  Alabama  River. 

ARTESIAN   RECORDS. 

The  southern  limit  of  the  Selma  chalk  area  in  Montgom- 
ery County  is  marked  by  an  in  facing  escarpment,  or  a  range 
of  hills  with  steep  and  abrupt  northward  slopes,  but  gentle 
slopes  toward  the  south.  This  escarpment  marks'  also  the  line 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  209 

between  lands  on  the  north  depending  for  water  supply  on  ar- 
tesian wells,  and  those  on  the  south  in  which  the  sands  hold 
sufficient  water  to  supply  all  ordinary  needs. 

No  record  of  any  artesian  borings  south  of  this'  line  has  been 
found,  and  in  this  respect  Montgomery  County  agrees  with  all 
the  other  counties  similarly  situated  geologically. 

Of  the  wells  whose  records  are  given  below,  the  following  are 
located  on  the  Eutaw  sands  and  get  water  either  from  these 
or  from  the  underlying  Tuscaloosa  materials :  Well  on  place 
formerly  owned  by  M.  E.  Pratt,  at  Pratt  Ferry;  most  of  the 
wells'  in  the  city  of  Montgomery;  wells  on  Martin  Baldwin 
place  and  Paul  Le  Grand  place,  north  of  Montgomery. 

The  well  records  from  the  city  of  Montgomery  have  been 
most  carefully  kept  and  give  the  most  information,  and  they 
are  given  first. 

MONTGOMERY. 

Within  the  memory  of  many  now  living  the  old  wells  in 
Exchange  square  and  on  Commerce  street  yielded  overflowing 
streams ;  but  the  recent  sinking  of  so  many  large  wells  within 
the  city  limits  has  so  lowered  the  water  table  that  neither  of 
these  now  flows  and  the  same  is  probably  true  of  all  the  older 
small  wells.  Of  the  older  wells  of  the  city  waterworks,  the  fol- 
lowing was  bored  by  William  D.  Chapin : 

Record,  of  Chapin  well  of  City  Waterworks,  Montgomery. 

Feet. 

Clay  30 

Sand  and  gravel  60 

Sand  rock,  full  of  hard  nodules  6 

Black  clay  that  flakes  off  like  slate  on  exposure  to 

the  air  and  turns  gray  4 

So-called  marl  with  streak  of  clay  80 

Sand  with  water,  but  not  a  running  sand;  more  like 

a  very  soft  sandstone  20 

Marl  and  clay  •. 100 

Sand  with  water,  like  second  above 15 

Marl  and  clay  80 

Coarse  sandstone,  some  water,  very  soft  25 

Hard  sandstone,  large  flow  of  water,  rises  about  25  feet 

above  the  surface  2 

Clay  and  marl,  with  a  hard  streak  of  lime  rock  at  bottom  90 

Lignite  3 

Marl  in  loose  pieces,  like  stones  on  seashore  60 

Clay 5 

Very  hard  lime  rock  2 

Coarse  white  sand,  with  streaks  of  hard  sandstone;  large 

flow  of  water,  say  200  gallons  per  minute,  rises  about 

40  feet  above  surface   51 

b33 


210  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Below  this  to  the  bottom  of  the  boring  was  marl.  The  marl  in  this 
boring  is  probably  a  fossiliferous  sand  with  streaks  or  partings  of  clay. 
While  the  boring  undoubtedly  reaches  the  strata  of  the  Tuscaloosa  for- 
mation, it  is  impossible  from  the  record  to  say  where  the  transition 
trom  the  Eutaw  sands  to  the  Tuscaloosa  occurs.  It  is  probably  some- 
where between  250  and  300  feet. 

The  books  of  the  city  waterworks  contain  much  information  concern- 
ing artesian  conditions  in  Montgomery.  Previous  to  1899  there  were  six 
wells  in  use,  the  Cook,  Parker's  West,  South,  Northwest,  Southwest,  and 
Southeast  wells,  all  bored  by  the  Cook  Well  Company,  of  Chicago,  ill. 
Twelve  new  wells  were  sunk  in  1899.  These  wells  do  not  flow  and  airlift 
is  necessary.  It  is  estimated  that  the  daily  capacity,  when  all  are  con- 
nected, is  5,000,000  gallons.  The  average  temperature  is  68°.  The  record 
of  the  Cook  and  Parker's  West  wells  and  some  details  of  the  four  other 
older  wells  are  given  below. 

Old  Cook  well,  depth,  837  feet;  started  with  12-inch  casing;  flowed 
191,998  gallons  in  twenty-four  hours  when  well  was  first  started. 


Record  of  Cook  well,  Montgomery. 


Feet. 

White  clay  0  —  16 

White  sand  16  —  18 

Blue  marl  18  —  ^6 

Coarse  gravel;  washing  water  would  not  fill  well;  had  to  use 

sand  pump  26  —  5o 

Coarse  gravel  55  —  85 

Blue  marl;  stopped  the  10-inch  casing,  as  it  would  not  drive; 

substituted  8-inch  casing;  struck  fine  gravel  and  sand 85  —  139 

Blue  marl;  water  stood  at  —10  feet,  sand  rock  at  145  feet  18 

inches;  no  headway  drilling,  used  rotary  process 139  —  145 

Thin  blue  clay  148  —  T70 

Fine  white  sand  170  —  188 

Blue  clay  188  —  ^5 

Light  yellow  sand  225  —  240 

Red  clay  240  —  L'55 

Blue  clay  and  sand  255  —  v:58 

Red  clay  258  —  280 

Yellow  sand  280  —  288 

Blue  clay  288  —  297 

Sand  and  clay  .' 297  —  ;-:i2 

Clay  312  —  320 

Red  and  blue  clay;  water  flowed  8  feet  above  surface 320  —  345 

Clay  345  —  366 

Coarse  water-bearing  sand  365  —  3Y3 

Lignite  in  sand,  with  1  1-2-inch  rock  373  —  3bO 

Sand  rock  and  sand,  cavity  6  feet  380  —  38S 

Water-bearing  sands  388  —  402 

Fine  sands 402  —  410 

Sand,  with  ledges  of  sand  rock  410  —  4'Jl 

Clay  and  sand ;  some  water  421  —  450 

Finer  sand,  with  a  little  clay  450  —  4SO 

Fine  sand ;  some  red,  mixed  with  clay 480  —  507 

Black  clay  507  —  530 

Sand 530  —  540 

Black  clay,  with  traces  of  sand 540  —  585 

Sand  and  clay : 585  —  610 

Very  fine,  water-bearing  sand ;  temperature,  70° 610  —  650 

Blue  clay,  with  some  yellow  — 650  —  720 

Blue  and  red  clay  720  —  837 

~837 


WATERS  OF  THE;   CRETACEOUS.  211 

Record  of  Parker's  West  well,  Montgomery. 


Feet. 

Sand  and  gravel  '          0  —     89 

Clay  

Clay  and  sand  

Fine  and  coarse   sand 
Sand   and   blue  marl    . 

Clay  and  sand  

Red  clay  and  sand 


89  —  109 

109  —  129 

129  —  178 

178  —  185 

185  —  225 

225  —  -J30 

Sand ;  hole,  caved  40  feet ;  water  overflowed  a  little 330  —  395 

Sand  395  —  411 

Black   clay    471  —  507 

Black  clay;   with  some   sand;   good   stream    507 —  530 

Black   clay    530—  546 

Sand 546—  580 

Blue    clay 580—  585 

Sand,  with  very  little  clay;  water  to  surface  at  600  feet 585  —  621 

White  sand   621  —  <j52 

Stiff  clay   652  —  662 

White  sand  662  —  706 

Red  sand ;  some  clay  706  —  714 

White  sand   714—  785 

Reddish  sand   785  —  795 

White  sand    795  —  837 

Sand  and  clay  837  —  376 

White  sand   876—  8SO 

White  sand  and  clay  880  —  888 

White  sand  and  beds  of  clay  and  sand  888  —  895 

Hard  sand  rock,  some  white,  alternating  with  softer  rock 895  —  1091 


Water  rises  200  feet.  Salt  water  at  1C91  feet,  in  reddish  clay.  Stopped 
drilling  at  this  point.  Cased  off  at  712  feet,  using  water  found  at  that 
point.  Water  from  this  well  pumped  into  Cook  well. 

South  well,  depth,  650  feet. 

Northwest  well,  depth,  457  feet;  340  feet  8-inch  casing,  67  feet  6-inch  ca- 
sing, 50  feet  6-inch  strainer;  flow,  92  gallons  per  minute. 

Southwest  well,  depth,  448  feet;  338  feet  8-inch  casing,  60  feet  6-inch  cas- 
ing, 50  feet  6-inch  strainer;  flow,  60  gallons  per  minute. 

Southeast  well,  depth,  645  feet. 

A  number  of  tests  have  been  made  by  means  of  airlift  to  determine 
the  capacity  of  the  different  wells.  These  have  varied  somewhat  at 
different  times.  .The  following  are  probably  typical: 


Capacity  of  wells  at  Montgomery,  as  shown  by  air-lift  tests. 


Well. 
Northeast  well   

Gallons  per 
minute. 

285 

Gallons  per 
24  hours. 
410  400 

Southwest  well 

212 

304  280 

Cook  well 

.   .                   225 

3^4  000 

Parker  well       

239 

344  160 

961  1,S 

In   1899   12   new   wells   were   bored    for   the   waterworks    company,    with 
the  record  given  below. 


212  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Record  of  new  waterworks  wells,  Montgomery. 


Top   soil    . 

Feet. 
0  —    15 

Clay 

15         95 

Marl  

95        225 

Water-bearing  sands    

225  —  228 

Reddish    clay   with    pebbles;    small    ledge    of 
sandstone  

228  —  450     • 

Black  clay;  water   

450  —  650 

At  650  feet  the  water  stood  at  —20  feet;  at  450  feet,  —35  feet;  and  at  2bO 
feet.  —50  feet.  As  has  been  said  above,  on  account  of  the  many  weiis 
sunk  in  Montgomery  the  water  now  stands  much  lower  than  formerly. 

In  the  records  given  the  red  clays  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  appear 
to  have  been  reached  at  depths  of  225  to  250  feet,  which  is  about  what 
one  would  anticipate  from  tne  horizon  of  the  mouth  of  the  wells,  which 
is  about  100  feet  below  the  top  of  the  Eutaw  sands. 

Other  records  of  wells  in  Montgomery  are  as  follows: 

Well  at  Exchange  Hotel,  bored  for  D.  P.  West,  proprietor;  depth,  650 
feet;  casing,  2-inch  and  4-inch;  water  stands  at  — 45  feet;  temperature, 
66°;  good  drinking  water,  but  not  fit  for  boilers. 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  at  Exchange  Hotel,  Montgomery* 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium  (Na)   78.70 

Potassium    (K)    16.21 

Magnesium  (Mg)  .38 

Calcium   (Ca)    4.32 

Chlorine    (Cl)    7.66 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4) 1.50 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   144.13 

Iron   (Fe)    Trace. 

Silica  (Si02)   . 11.81 


264.71 


Montgomery  Brewery  wells:  No.  1,  depth,  550  feet;  temperature,  68°; 
sand  and  a  little  water  at  90  feet;  cased  off  and  lowered  to  480  feet, 
passing  through  blue  clay  and  sand;  some  water,  supply  insu..cient; 
lowered  to  550  feet,  reaching  good  water  with  a  flow  6  feet  above  the 
surface.  No.  2,  depth,  700  feet;  passed  through  sand  and  blue  clay, 
with  ledges  of  rock  2  feet  thick;  cased  to  550  feet;  supply  inexhaustible; 
stands  now  at  —17  feet,  on  account  of  stream  being  turned  into  well  No. 
1. 

Montgomery  Ice  and  Storage  Company's  well,  bored  by  Tillison  hi 
1903;  depth,  163  feet;  casing,  6-inch;  first  water  at  35  feet,  stand  —35  feet; 
second  water  at  140  feet,  stand  —27  feet;  100  gallons  per  minute  pumped 
from  this  well  constantly.  Record:  Clay,  0-30  feet;  sand,'  30-38  feet: 
gravel,  38-50  feet;  sand  and  water,  50-94  feet;  soapstone  with  sand,  94-140 
feet;  sand,  gravel  and  water,  140-160  feet.  The  well  of  the  Union  Slaugh- 
terhouse, 600  yards  east  of  this  well,  encountered  no  gravel. 

*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  combi- 
nations;  recomputed  in  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 


WATERS   OF   THE   CRETACEOUS.  2J3 

Union  Slaughterhouse  well,  bored  by  Tillison  in  1898;  depth,  163  feet, 
first  water  at  20  feet,  stand  —20  feet;  second  water  at  140  feet,  stand  —& 
feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-20  feet;  sand,  20-110  feet;  soapstone,  110-140  feet; 
sand  and  water,  140-163  feet. 

NORTH   AND    WEST   OF    MONTGOMERY. 

The  thiee  wells  rr-xt  fr-iJO'Virg  are  also  OTI  the  F.utaw  saud;?: 

Well   on   old   Jesse   Cox    place,    afterwards    owned   by   M.    E.    Pratt,    at 

Pratt's  Ferry,  10  miles  west  of  Montgomery;  bored  by  Wm.  D.   Chapin; 

overflows. 

Record  of  well  on  old  Je'sse  Cox  place,  Pratt s  Ferry. 


Feet. 

Clay  0  —    20 

Sand  and  gravel   20  —    30 

Marl  30  —    35 

Tough  black  clay  35—    65 

Marl  65-265 

Sand,     with    streaks    of     sandstone,     water- 
bearing   265  —  320 


The  material  called  marl  in  the  above  record  is  the  same  as  that  which 
makes  the  lower  part  of  the  bluff  at  the  ferry  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river;  it  consists  of  cross-bedded  calcareous  sands  with  a  few  fos- 
sils and  is  interstratified  with  tough  laminated  black  clays.  This  is 
called  marl  at  Prattville  and  elsewhere.  All  the  strata  penetrated  by 
this  boring  belong  to  the  Eutaw  formation. 

Well  on  Martin  Baldwin  place,  7  miles  north  of  Montgomery,  in  the 
S.  W.  quarter  Section  8,  Township  17,  Range  18;  bored  by  M.  S.  Gilmer 
in  1898;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  surface; 
temperature,  67°. 

Well  on  Paul  Le  Grand  place,  4  1-2  miles  north  of  Montgomery;  bored 
by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,  423  feet;  casing,  2-inch. 

First   water    at  115  feet,  stand  —45  feet; 

Second   water   at  200  feet,  stand  —23  feet; 

Third  water  at  300  feet,  stand  —15  feet; 

Fourth  water  stand  —15  feet: 

Record:  Clay,  0-20  feet;  clay  and  compact  dry  sand,  20-115  feet;  (1)  115-200 
feet  ;  sand  and  water,  200-210  feet;  clay  and  compact  sand.  210-300  feet; 
sand  and  clay,  300-423  feet. 

SOUTH    AND   EAST   OF    MONTGOMERY. 

South  of  the  line  of  contact  of  the  Eutaw  and  Selma  chalk 
outcrops,  artesian  water  is  obtained  from  the  sands  of  the  Eu- 
taw at  varying  depths.  Comparatively  few  of  these  wells  yield 
flowing  water,  and  it  is  reported  by  Mr.  F.  J.  Tillison,  who 
during  the  last  twenty-five  years  has  bored  at  least  a  hundred 
wells  in  the  county,  mainly  in  the  northern  half,  that  only  five- 
are  overflowing  wells.  These  are  the  following: 


214  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Well  at  Abraham  Church,  4  miles  south  of  Montgomery,  in  the  S.  E. 
quarter  Section  36,  Township  16,  Range  17;  diameter,  4  inches;  flow,  one- 
fourth  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  1  foot  above  surface;  tempera- 
ture, 69°. 

Griel  Brothers'  well,  on  Forbes  place,  5  miles  south  of  Montgomery,  in 
the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  1,  Township  15,  Range  17;  depth,  86  feet;  water 
stands  at  surface. 

Silas  Tyson's  wells,  4  miles  west  of  south  of  Montgomery,  in  the  S.  Jl. 
quarter  Section  35,  Township  16,  Range  17:  No.  1,  in  field;  depth,  60  feet; 
flows;  temperature,  66°.  No.  2,  in  pasture;  water  stands  at  2  feet  above 
surface;  makes  a  kind  of  cistern. 

W.  E.  Pierce's  well,  4  1-2  miles  west  of  south  of  Montgomery,  in  Sec- 
tion 2,  Township  15,  Range  17;  depth,  65  feet;  flow,  2  1-2  gallons  per  min- 
ute; water  rises  to  3  feet  above  surface;  temperature,  66°. 

The  other  records  from  Montgomery  County  are  given  as  nearly  as 
practicable  in  order  from  west  to  east. 

Well  at  Stone's  on  the  Western  Railway  of  Alabama,  7  or  8  miles  west 
of  Montgomery;  new  well;  flow,  about  one-eighth  gallon  per  minute; 
temperature,  72° ;  no  other  record  obtained. 

A.  H.  Clark's  wells,  Hope  Hull:  No.  1.  at  house  one-half  mile  east 
of  postoffice;  bored  by  Tillison  in  1894;  depth,  265  feet;  casing,  4-inch; 
first  water  at  250  feet,  stand  —75  feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-20  feet;  marl, 
20-250  feet;  sand  and  water,  250-265  feet.  Five  other  wells;  records  not 
available. 

Well  of  Atlantic  Coast  Line  railroad,  Sprague  Junction;  bored  by  Tilli- 
son in  1892;  depth,  738  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  645  feet,  stand? 
at  — 75  feet;  tastes  strong  of  soda.  Record:  Sand  and  clay,  0-16  feet; 
marl,  16-645  feet;  sand  and  water,  with  occasional  rock,  645-738. 

Another  well  at  Sprague  Junction  is  reported  to  be  400  feet  deep,  with 
8-inch  and  6-mch  casing;  water  stands  at  —75  feet;  no  record  obtained. 

In  connection  with  the  record  of  the  railway  well  at  Sprague  Junc- 
tion given  above.  Mr.  Tillison  reports  that  Conover  bored  another 
20  feet  away  from  the  first,  going  down  1100  feet,  casing  to  900;  but 
the  water  rose  no  higher  than  —75  feet.  It  could  not  be  used  in  the 
boilers. 

Mr.  Tillison  reports  further  that  in  Montgomery  county  the  first,  third 
and  fourth  waters  of  Mr.  Hawk,  as  explained  on  page  113,  all  rise  to  the 
same  height.  As  a  rule  Mr.  Tillison  does  not  case  below  the  marl, 
which  may  be  the  explanation  of  this  circumstance. 

Dr.  J.  M.  Galloway's  well,  1  mile  northeast  Oi.  Snowdoun;  bored  by 
lillison  in  1891;  depth.  527  feet;  diameter.  4  inches;  water  stands  at  —80 
feet;  first  water  at  510  feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-20  feet;  marl,  20-360  feet; 
sand  and  water,  360-380  feet. 

Amos  Jones  s  well,  16  miles  from  Montgomery  (6  miles  east  of  south); 
bored  by  Tillison  in  1879;  depth,  527  feet;  water  stands  at  —80  feet;  first 
water,  at  510  feet,  stood  at  — bO  feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-20  feet;  marl,  20-510 
feet;  sand  and  water,  510-527  feet. 

According  to  F.  J.  Tillison  a  well  at  Barachias  is  200  feet  deep  and 
the  water  scands  at  — 16  feet,  and  the  same  authority  states  that  a  well 
at  Myrtle  is  250  feet  deep,  with  the  water  standing  at  —20  feet. 

F.  H.  Hammack's  well,  Pike  Road;  bored  by  Tillison  in  1895;  depth, 
352  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  340  feet,  stands  at  — 95  feet.  Record: 
Sand,  0-20  feet;  marl,  20-340  feet;  sand  and  water,  340-352  feet. 

W.  H.  Lawson's  well,  near  Mitchell  Station,  but  in  Montgomery  County; 
bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1899;  depth,  680  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water 
at  630  feet,  stand  —50  feet.  Record:  Soil,  0-20  Teet;  marl,  20-630  feet;  hard 
rock,  630-631  feet;  sand,  631-680  feet. 


•WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  215 

AUTAUGA   COUNTY. 
SHALLOW  WATERS. 

The  Tuscaloos'a  formation  underlies  the  northern  half  of 
Autauga  County  and  the  sands  and  clays  of  the  Eutaw  the 
southern  half.  Over  these  rocks  is  spread  the  surface  mantle 
of  loam  and  pebbles  of  the  Lafayette  formation.  The  condi- 
tions are  therefore  favorable  for  a  never  failing  supply  of 
freestone  water  from  springs  and  open  wells  throughout  the 
entire  county,  and  for  artesian  wells  especially  in  the  lower  half, 
within  the  Eutaw  territory. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Because  of  the  abundance  of  springs,  and  the  fact  that  good 
water  can  be  obtained  almost  everywhere  in  the  county  by 
wells  of  moderate  depths,  it  has  been  only  within  the  last  two 
years  that  attempts  have  been  made  to  get  artesian  water,  and 
the  records  of  artesian  wells  are  as  yet  confined  to  the  lowlands 
of  Autauga  and  Swift  Creeks,  at  Prattville  and  Autaugaville. 
The  stratigraphic  conditions,  however,  are  favorable  in  other 
parts  of  the  county  underlain  by  the  Tuscaloosa  beds. 

PRATTVILLE. 

The  first  attempts  to  get  artesian  water  were  made  in  Pratt- 
ville in  the  summer  of  1904,  Mr.  Ira  E.  Sarber,  of  Thorsb\ . 
being  the  contractor. 

Prattville  is  situated  in  the  valley  of  Autauga  Creek,  the 
elevation  being  considerably  less  than  100  feet  above  high- 
water  level  in  Alabama  River,  4  miles  away.  It  is  stated  that 
in  1894,  on  a  place  owned  by  Dr.  Robert  Davis,  in  Prattville. 
a  well  was  driven  about  30  feet  deep,  in  which  the  water  ros'e 
about  10  feet  above  the  surface,  and  that  it  is  still  flowing,  but 
rises  only  about  3  feet  above  the  surface.  About  the  same 
time  Mr.  M.  D.  Fisher  bored  a  well  100  feet  deep,  in  which  the 
water  stood  at  the  surface  until  the  spring  of  1904,  when  it 
rose  3  feet  above  the  surface,  and  has  flowed  ever  since. 

Since  the  spring  of  1904  a  great  number  of  wells  have  been 
bored  and  the  number  is  constantly  increasing.  As  the  records 
will  show,  water  is  commonly  obtained  at  a  depth  of  100  feet, 


216  DETAIL0:       COASTAL   PLAIN    DIVISION. 

more  or  less,  when  the  mouth  of  the  well  is  approximately  at 
the  level  of  the  Prattville  streets.  In  cases  where  the  depth  is 
greater,  it  is  generally  because  the  elevation  of  the  well  is 
higher,  as  at  Mrs.  Pratt's  and  at  Mr.  Daniel  Pratt's. 

The  sands'  first  penetrated,  to  the  depth  of  20  to  30  feet,  are 
the  comparatively  recent  sands  of  the  Autauga  Creek  bottom, 
on  which  the  greater  part  of  Prattville  stands.  The  marl  re- 
ferred to  in  the  records  consists  of  alternations  of  calcareous 
sand  and  gray  clays ;  some  of  the  strata  contain  shells  by  which 
the  formation  is  easily  identified  as'  Eutaw. 

Public  well,  at  bridge;  bored  by  I.  B.  Sarber,  in  July,  1904;  depth,  99 
feet;  casing,  64  feet,  2-inch;  flow,  (Sarber)  20  gallons  per  minute;  water 
rose  in  1-inch  pipe  to  24  feet  above  surface;  measured  flow  October  20, 
1904,  from  spigot,  12  gallons  per  minute. 

L.  Li.  Chapman's  well;  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  flow,  20  gallons  per 
minute;  at  first,  much  sand;  measured  flow  October  29,  1904,  30  gallons 
per  minute;  casing,  4-inch,  50  feet;  temperature,  66°.  Record:  Sand,  0-28 
feet;  marl  (Eutaw),  28-79  feet;  water  sands,  79  feet  to  bottom,  about  iOO 
feet. 

E.  I.  Smith's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,  about  100  feet;  log 
similar  to  others  in  town;  measured  flow  October  29,  1904,  25  gallons  per 
minute.  This  well  and  Chapman's  were  the  largest  in  town,  until  the 
well  at  the  Baptist  church  was  bored. 

Academy  yard  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  surface  about  on  same 
level  as  at  Dr.  Rice's  and  Mr.  Graham's;  casing,  70  feet,  2-inch;  flow 
(Sarber),  20  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  in  1-inch  pipe  to  13  feet 
above'  the  surface;  measured  flow  October  29,  1904,  from  1-inch  pipe,  12 
gallons  per'  minute;  temperature,  65°.  Record:  Sands,  25-30  feet;  marl, 
30-90  feet;  water-bearing  sands,  90-99  feet.  The  following  analysis  wm 
made  by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  Academy  well,  Prattville. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    1.2 

Sodium   (Na) 1.3 

Magnesium  (Mg)   .4 

Calcium   (Ca)   .6 

Iron  (Fe)    .2 

Alumina   (A12O8) .3 

Chlorine  (CI)   1.7 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  .5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  5.6 

Silica  (SiOa)  15.6 

27~4 


DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION.  217 

Sanitary  Analysis. 


Parts  per  million. 

Nitrogen  as 

Free  ammonia  0.01 

Albuminoid  ammonia   None. 

Nitrates  .02 

Nitrites  None. 

Chlorine    1.7 

Total  residue   '. 19. 

Loss  on  ignition    7.4 


W.  M.  Fisher's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,  about  90  to  95 
feet;  flow,  6  to  8  gallons  per  minute;  log  similar  to  others. 

Dr.  Clarence  Rice's  well,  bored  in  July,  1904,  by  Sarber;  casing,  70 
feet,  2-inch;  first  water  at  55  feet,  rising  to  —7  feet;  second  water,  first 
overflow,  at  100  feet;  flow  at  first,  8  gallons  per  minute,  increasing  in 
three  or  four  weeks  to  20  gallons;  water  rises  in  1  1-2-inch  pipe  to  16 
feet  above  surface.  Record:  Sands,  0-30  feet;  marl,  30-55  feet;  water- 
bearing sands,  55-62  feet;  marl,  62-100  feet;  water-bearing  sands,  100-115 
feet. 

Malcolm  Graham's  well,  bored  in  July,  1904,  by  Sarber;  record  same  as 
that  of  Dr.  Rice's  well  but  depth  is  123  feet.  The  surface  here  is  20 
to  25  feet  higher  than  at  the  bridge.  Flow  (Sarber),  15  gallons  per  min- 
ute; measured  flow  October  29,  1904,  from  one-half  inch  pipe,  about  5 
gallons  per  minute. 

J.  C.  Burns's  well,  bored  in  July,  1904,  by  Sarber;  casing,  60  feet,  2-inch 
water  rose  in  1-inch  pipe  to  20  feet  above  surface;  flow,  20  gallons  per 
minute,  decreasing  after  six  months  to  14  gallons;  measured  flow  Octo- 
ber 29,  1904,  12  gallons  per  minute.  Record:  Sand,  0-23  feet;  marl,  23-28 
feet;  sand,  28-37  feet;  marl,  37-80  feet;  water  sands,  with  streaks  of  marl, 
80-94  feet. 

G.  Cook  Spigener's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,  about  86  feet; 
flow,  2  1-2  to  3  gallons  per  minute. 

Thomas  Fay's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  water  rose  to  30  fejt 
above  surface;  flow,  about  10  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  65°. 

Mr.  Anthony's  well,  bored  in  November,  1904;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute. 
Daniel  Pratt's  well,  bored  in  November  1904;  flow  50  gallons  per  min- 
ute at  first,  decreasing  to  12  gallons  in  three  months  and  to  6  or  8  gallons 
in  six  months.  Another  well  was  bored  later  in  the  same  yard.  Record 
of  No.  1:  Sand,  0-30  feet;  marl,  30-80  feet;  coarse  white  sand  (first  water 
rising  to  —2  feet),  80-86  feet;  marl,  86-108  feet;  sands  like  those  in  town 
wells  (second  water  rising  to  2  feet  above  surface),  108-116  feet;  marl, 
116-120  feet;  coarse  sand  and  pebbles  (third  water,  rising  to  7  feet  above 
surface),  120-126  feet;  (?),  126-198  1-2  feet. 

Mrs.  Julia  A.  Pratt's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  September,  1904;  casing 
100-160  feet,  2-inch;  first  water  below  100  feet,  flowing  2  1-2  gallons  par 
minute,  cased  off;  second  water  at  180  feet;  flow  at  nrst,  11  gallons  per 
minute;  decreasing  after  one  week  to  5  1-2  gallons,  probably  stopped  by 
pebble.  Record:  Sands,  0-40  feet;  marl,  40-140  feet;  sand,  140-147  feet; 
marl,  147-180  feet;  water-bearing  sands,  180-198  feet. 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  wells  bored  in  Prattville  and  vicinity 
since  the  fall  of  1904.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  keep  up  with  the  borings. 


218  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Wells  bored  in  Prattville  and  vicinity  since  1904. 

Bored  by   J.    S.    Catts,   1904-1906. 
Diameter,  2  inches. 


No. 


For  whom  drilled. 


I! 


Stand. 


Jack    Smith    

Will   Anderson    

Mrs.    Montgomery 
Buford    McKeithen 


Thornton    place, 
Campbells  place, 


(Thomas) 

(Thomas)    


Sim   Fair   place,    (Thomas) 

Bulger    place,    (Thomas)    

Ice    Factory,    (Thomas)    

On  Washington  road,  (Thomas) 
Ben    Burden     

(1)  Paradise,    (Cotton   mills).... 

(2)  Paradise,     (Cotton    mills).. 


,  I  110 
I  103 
176 
3251 
137| 
147 
135 
142 


60 1 

62 

120| 

250 

68 


4-5 
4-6 

lost 


(3)  Paradise, 

(4)  Paradise, 
Daniel    Pratt 
Continental    Gin    Factory 


(Cotton    mills) 
(Cotton    mills) 


14 
15 
16 
17 

18 1  Mrs.    Dora    Barnes    yard 

19|Dr.    Rice    

20|Dr.    Rice 

21|Mrs.    Pratt     

22 1  Bob    Golden     

23|Ed.    Golden    

24|Mrs.     Smith     

25! Baptist    church     

26 1  Bob   Wards,    (Thomas)    

27 1  Methodist   parsonage    

28 1  J.   W.   Young     

29! William    Graham    

30| William    Graham    

31 1  Wade    Hunt    

32 1  Baptist    parsonage    

33|Mrs.    McCrary    


I 

158 
i::!j 
146 
150 

I  H2| 

I  139| 

160 

157 

|  139 

I  1781 


6-8 
6-10 
3-4 
5-8 


193| 
138| 
120| 
1001 
165 1 
165| 
1381 
124 

|  276| 
|  167| 
I  196| 
I  198| 
I  196| 
I  1311 


1001 
87 

1021  25-30 

1101  20-30 

100 1  8-10 

llw   3-4 

116 |  15-20 

96 |  4-5 

94|  3-5 

1101  10-12 

100 1  6-8 

108|  6-8 

....   lost 

160]  20-30 

120 |  10-12 

98|  10-12 

651  10-12 

140|  20-30 

142 |  100- 

881  4-6 


86| 
2201 
1401 
1601 
163| 
1821 


4-6 

lost 

4- 

5-6 

4-6 

4-6 


Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
\  Struck    cavity. 
I  (Pump)   150  feet. 
I  Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
|  Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 

I  Overflows. 
Overflows. 
!  Overflows. 
Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
|  Overflows. 

I  Overflows. 
Overflows. 
|  Broke  rod. 
[Overflows. 
I  Overflows. 
Overflows. 
Overflows. 
Overflows. 
Overflows. 

I  Overflows. 
Overflows. 
I  No  stream. 
|  Broke    pump. 
1—100   foot   Pump. 
|  Overflow^ 
Overflows. 
Overflows. 


Mr.  Gates  gives  as  the  average  record  of  the  wells  drilled  by  him  the 
following:  Sand  and  a  hard  pan  composed  of  very  fine  white  sand, 
very  hard,  20  feet;  yellow  or  red  clay  or  marl,  with  some  fine  beds  of 
ochre,  red  and  yellow,  and  a  great  deal  of  ising  glass,  80-100  feet. 

The  best  streams  are  found  in  very  coarse  sand  and  gravel,  which  is 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  the  water.  From  well  No.  25  of  the  above 
list  over  a  car  load  of  sand  came  up.  Only  one  well  strong  in  lime, 
viz.,  No.  4.  The  water  generally  becomes  clear  in  2  to  10  hours.  No  rock 
struck  in  any  of  these  borings,  but  some  gravel  in  all. 

From  other  sources  the  following  notes  are  obtained: 

L.  Q.  Nelson's  well,  Chestnut  street  crossing  of  Louisville  and  Nash- 
ville railroad. 

Well  near  -  obile  and  Ohio  railroad. 

Well  in   lot  between  W.  F.  Wilkinson's  and  Dan  Smith's. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  219 

Alf  Wadworth's  well  several  miles  south  of  Prattville,  on  the  old 
Daniel  Pratt  plantation;  depth,  311  feet. 

Maj.  M.  M.  Smith's  well  3  miles  southwest  of  Prattville;  not  flowing; 
stand  of  water,  — 12  feet. 

John  Wadsworth's  well,  bored  by  Shackelford  in  1905;  depth,  475  feet; 
casing,  254  feet,  2-inch,  445  feet  1  1-4-mch.  Record:  Red  clay,  0-19  feet; 
gravel,  19-41  feet;  sand  rock  18  inches  thick  at  83  feet;  fine-grained  sand, 
with  water,  104-107  feet,  and  144-154  feet;  rock  8  inches  thick  at  260  feet; 
water,  290-296  feet;  coarse  yellow  sand,  with  water,  rising  to  surface. 
435-440  feet;  marl,  chalk,  and  red  and  yellow  ocher,  440-474  feet;  at  bot- 
tom of  boring,  475  feet,  water  rising  above  the  surface  and  flowing  15 
gallons  per  minute. 

AUTAUGAVILLE. 

Jim  Nunn's  well,  1  mile  from  Autaugaville ;  bored  by  Radford  in  189S; 
depth,  200  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water  at  180  feel,  stand  —100  feet; 
much  gravel. 

ELMORE  COUNTY. 
SUKFACE  FEATURES. 

% 

The  northern  part  of  Elmore  County,  as  far  south  as  We- 
tumpka  and  Tallassee,  is  underlain  by  the  metamorphic 
gneisses  and  mica  schists ;  southward  from  that  latitude  to  Tal- 
lapoosa  River,  which  separates  Elmore  from  Montgomery 
County,  the  strata  are  Cretaceous1,  ranging  from  the  Tuscaloosa 
to  the  lower  measures  of  the  Selma  chalk.  In  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  below  Wetumpka  and  east  of  Coosa 
River,  and  in  all  that  part  lying  west  of  the  Coosa  and 
its  continuation  in  the  Alabama,  the  older  rocks  are  covered 
with  with  the  Lafayette  mantle  of  pebbles  and  red  loam.  Dis- 
continuous remnants  of  this  mantle  are  also  to  be  found  in 
places  on  the  east  side  of  the  Coos'a.  lapping  far  up  over  the? 
metamorphic  rocks. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

Where  the  Lafayette  mantle  is  absent  the  residual  soils  and 
other  materials  from  the  crystalline  rocks  constitute  the  water 
reservoir  and  the  supply  from  springs  and  wells  is  not  always 
satisfactory,  though  generally  adequate.  On  the  other  hand, 
wherever  the  Lafayette  loam  and  pebble  beds  cover  the  surface 
the  best  freestone  water  is  abundant.  West  of  Alabama  and 
Coosa  rivers  to  the  borders  of  Autauga  County  and  beyond, 
relatively  low  lands  of  unusually  level  s'urface  extend  from  op- 


220  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

posite  Montgomery  practically  to  the  line  of  Chilton  County. 
In  all  this  territory  the  Lafayette  materials  form  the  surface, 
and  on  each  side  of  these  lowlands,  which  are  followed  by  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  flat-topped  hills  capped 
with  the  same  materials  rise  to  elevations  of  100  feet  or  more 
above  the  railroad.  On  closer  examination  of  these  hills  the 
sands  and  clays  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  may  usually  be 
discovered  underneath  the  Lafayette  beds.  As  in  other  coun- 
ties, the  plateaus  capped  by  the  Lafayette  beds  form  the  finest 
farming  lands  of  the  region. 

On  the  borders  of  the  lowlands  mentioned  is  the  town  of 
Robinson  Springs,  so  called  from  the  fine  springs  which  emerge 
from  below  the  Lafayette  pebble  beds  at  their  contact  with  thti 
less  pervious'  Tuscaloosa  clays.  This  water  is  similar  to  that 
of  all  the  Lafayette  springs,  an  analysis  of  one  of  which,  the 
University  Spring,  is  given  under  Tuscaloosa  County,  (p.  116). 

South  of  Wetumpka,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  18,  Town- 
ship 18,  Range  19  E.,  is  the  Harrowgate  Sulphur  Spring, 
once  a  famous  place  of  resort,  but  now  entirely  abandoned. 
This  spring  is  in  the  low  grounds  of  a  small  stream  running 
into  the  Coosa,  and  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  bed  from 
which  it  comes  though  it  is  probably  one  of  the  lower  Cretace 
ous  formations.  Sands  have  washed  over  the  site  of  the 
springs  and  the  buildings  have  been  allowed  to  fall  into  deca} , 

ARTESIAN  CONDITIONS. 

In  the  territory  of  the  crystalline  schists  the  conditions  are. 
as  a  rule,  unfavorable  for  artesian  waters,  though  deep  borings 
will  almost  anywhere  fill  with  water  to  within  pumping  distance 
of  the  surface,  and  in  many  cases  with  a  fairly  good  supply. 

In  the  area  west  of  Alabama  and  Coosa  rivers  and  south  of 
Wetumpka  on  the  east  side  of  the  Coosa,  the  prospects  for  ai  - 
tesian  wells  are  more  favorable  because  of  the  underlying 
Cretaceous  (Tuscaloosa)  beds.  As  yet  few  artesian  borings 
have  been  made.  The  available  records  are  given  below. 

PRATTVILLE    JUNCTION. 

Well  in  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  10,  Township  17,  Range  17; 
bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,   184  feet;   flows  at  surface;   water  stands 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  221 

4  feet  above  surface;  first  water,  at  176  feet,  stood  at  — 20  inches.  Record: 
Soil,  1-10  feet;  gravel,  10-40  feet;  clay,  compact  sand,  40-176  feet;  sand 
and  water,  176-184  feet. 

GRANDVIEW. 

Ray  Rushton's  well,  bored  by  Sarber  in  1904;  depth,  183  feet;  first  water 
at  65  feet,  stand  —65  feet;  second  water  at  173  feet,  stand  —150  feet.  Re- 
cord: Clay,  0-20  feet;  clay  and  compact  sand,  20-173  feet;  sand  and  water, 
173-183  feet.  At  a  depth  of  90  feet  a  stratum  of  dry,  compact  sand  was 
encountered. 

STATE   FARM. 

Well  at  State  farm,  8  miles  northeast  of  Montgomery,  in  the  N.  K. 
quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  2,  Township  17,  Range  18;  bored  by  Gilmer 
&  Caylor  in  1893;  depth,  420  feet;  cased  to  bottom,  4-inch  and  6-inch. 

First  water  at  120  feet,  stand  —20  feet; 

Second  water  at  150  feet,  stand  —16  feet; 

Third  water  at  175  feet,  stand  —6  feet; 

Fourth  water  at  200  feet,  slight  overflow; 

Fifth  water  at  250  feet,  stand,  16  feet  above  the  surface; 

Sixth  water  at  400  feet,  stand  4  feet  above  surface;  flow,  24  gallons  per 
minute.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-30  feet;  alternate  strata  of  sand 
and  gravel  and  red  clay,  30-400  feet;  sand  and  water,  400-420  feet. 

MAG  ON  COUNT? 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

Macon  County  displays  a  number  of  geologic  formations  in 
its  structure,  the  metamorphic  rocks',  occupying  the  northern 
township  (18),  being  overlapped  in  succession  to  the  south  by 
the  Tuscaloosa,  Eutaw,  and  Selma  chalk,  in  fairly  parallel  belts. 
In  the  southern  townships  the  somewhat  irregular  bodies  of 
the  chalk  are  overlain  by  the  sands,  clays,  and  s'hell  beds  of  the 
Ripley,  over  all  of  which  lies  the  Lafayette  capping  of  red  loam 
and  pebbles.  The  Lafayette  formation,  as  usual,  affords  an 
abundance  of  good  water  from  springs  and  shallow  wells,  and 
the  same  is  true  of  the  Tuscaloosa  and  to  a  certain  degree  of 
the  Eutaw.  This  will  explain  in  some  measure  the  absence  o* 
artesian  borings  in  these  sections. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

As  far  south  as  Tuskegee  the  cretaceous  beds  seem  to  be 
rather  thin  and  unfavorable  for  artesian  waters,  as  is  s'hown  by 
the  uniformly  unsuccessful  borings  at  the  Tuskegee  water- 


222  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION.     . 

works,  which  go  into  the  underlying  gneiss.  Most  of  the  suc- 
cessful borings,  obtaining  water  in  the  Eutaw  sands',  are  in  the 
region  of  the  chalk,  along  the  Seaboard  Air  Line,  but  in  no  case 
has  overflowing  water  been  obtained. 

With  the  exception  of  those  at  Tuskegee  and  Warriorstand, 
all  the  records  obtained  are  of  wells  along  the  line  of  the  rail- 
road in  the  lower  part  of  the  county. 

TUSKEGEE. 

City  waterworks  wells  (nine)  ;  bored  by  Moore  and  Mc- 
Creary;  depths  range  from  125  to  180  feet.  They  supply  but 
little  water  and  none  of  them  are  now  used  except  in  very  dry 
seasons',  the  principal  supply  coming  from  a  number  of  springvS 
at  the  foot  of  a  hill  just  north  of  the  city.  Two  or  three  of  the 
wells  were  only  30  to  40  feet  deep  and  overflowed  I  or  2  gal- 
lons per  minute. 

WARRIORS  TAND. 
Well  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford;  depth,  450  feet;  no  water  in  sand. 

CHESSON. 

J.  L.  Robert's  well,  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford  in  1899;  depth,  350  feet; 
first  water  at  325  feet;  water  stands  at  —9  feet;  steam  pump  used;  pumps 
10  gallon's  per  minute. 

HARDAWAY. 

A.  B.  Chesson's  well,  one-half  mile  southwest  of  station;  bored  by  O.  B, 
Radford  in  1904;  rlepth,  325  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water  at  300  feet; 
water  stands  at  —72  feet. 

Town  Well,  bored  by  J.  N.  Ingram  in  1898;  depth,  300  feet;  casing, 
4  1-2-inch;  first  water,  at  173  feet,  stood  at  —17  feet;  second  water,  at 
300  feet,  stood  at  —20  feet. 

DOWNS  AND  VICINITY 

W.  S.  Harris's  well,  bored  by  J.  N.  Ingram  in  1902;  depth,  356  faet; 
casing,  4  1-2-inch;  first  water  at  325  feet. 

Will  Harris's  well,  one-fourth  mile  from  station;  bored  by  O.  B.  Rad- 
ford in  1899;  depth,  325  feet;  first  water,  at  300  feet,  stood  at  —20  feet. 

James  Adams's  well,  3  miles  north  of  Downs;  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford; 
depth,  118  feet;  water  stands  at  —25  feet;  first  water  at  118  feet. 

D.  Adams's  well,  4  miles  north  of  Downs,  one-half  mile  east  of  Adams 
well;  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford  in  1900;  depth,  350  feet;  casing,  4-inch; 
first  water  at  340  feet,  stands  at  —50  feet. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  223 

FORT    DAVIS. 

Mrs.  Wilson's  well,  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford  in  1900;  depth,  450  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  425  feet,  stood  at  —50  feet. 

Hart  Russell's  well,  7  miles  from  Fort  Davis;  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford 
in  1898;  depth,  218  feet;  first  water,  at  190  feet,  stood  at  —40  feet. 

E.  P.  Bledsoe's  well,  Armstrong,  3  miles  east  of  Fort  Davis;  bored  by 
J.  W.  Radford  in  1897;  depth,  450  feet;  first  water,  at  425  feet,  stood  at 
—55  feet;  steam  pump  used;  pumps  10  gallons  per  minute. 

EOBA. 

Clay  Crosby's  well,  bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1899;  depth,  475  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  450  feet,  stands  at  — 60  feet;  steam  pump 
used;  pumps  10  gallons  per  minute. 


LEE  COUNTY. 

SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  surface  of  Lee  County  is  occupied  by  the  outcrops  or 
the  crystalline  schists  and  their  decomposition  products,  with 
the  exception  of  a  narrow  belt  at  the  southern  border  where 
the  sands  and  clays  of  the  Tuscaloosa  overlap  the  crystalline 
rocks.  In  the  southern  half  of  the  county  the  red  loam  and  peb- 
bles of  the  Lafayette  overlie  the  older  rocks  and  afford  the 
usual  conditions  for  good  water  from  springs'  and  wells. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  only  artesian  records  in  Lee  County  are  from  Auburn, 
in  the  crystalline  area,  and  from  Girard,  opposite  Columbus, 
Ga.,  in  the  lower  belt,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  ar- 
tesian prospects  are,  as  a  rule,  not  favorable. 

AUBURN. 

Alabama  Polytechnic  Institute  well,  bored  by  M.  F.  Fullan  in  1899; 
depth,  106  feet;  casing,  2-inch;  water  stood  at  surface;  estimated  yield, 
3  gallons  per  minute  with  air-lift.  Record:  Orange  sand,  0-10  feet; 
micaceous  granite,  10-40  feet;  gneissoid  granite,  40-45  feet;  gneissoid  gra- 
nite with  comparatively  small  amount  of  mica  (good  water-bearing 
stratum),  45-47  feet;  compact  gneiss,  47-56  feet;  coarse-grained  granite, 
small  amount  of  mica,  quartz  predominating  in  coarse  crystals  (good 
water-bearing  stratum),  56-60  feet;  gneissoid  granite,  more  compact  than 
preceding  forms  and  containing  iron  coloration,  60-106  feet. 


22-i  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 


GIEAED. 

E.  Hill  &  Co.'s  well,  bored  by  J.  W.  Radford  from  a  depth  of  200  feet; 
total  depth,  420  feet;  casing,  4  1-2-inch  and  6-inch;  first  water,  at  3uO 
feet,  stood  at  —250  feet.  Record:  Clay  and  sand,  200-360  feet;  sand 
and  water,  360-390  feet;  hard  rock,  390-420  feet.  This  well,  beginning  in 
the  Tuscaloosa  beds  overlying  the  gneiss,  goes  down  into  the  latter  at 
390  feet,  but  the  water  is  obtained  from  the  Tuscaloosa. 


PIKE  COUNTY. 
ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

An  east-west  line  through  Pike  County  just  north  of  Trov 
would  separate  the  Cretaceous  beds'  on  the  north  from  the 
Tertiary  on  the  south.  In  the  former  only  the  uppermost  for- 
mation of  the  Cretaceous,  the  Ripley,  appears  at  the  surface, 
and  in  this  territory  are  found  practically  all  the  wells  whose 
records  have  been  obtained.  In  all  cases  it  is  probable  that  the 
water  is  reached  in  the  strata  of  the  Ripley,  or  "blue  marl,"  as 
it  is  called.  The  oldest  wells  in  the  county  are  those  about 
Orion,  and  most  of  the  newer  ones  are  in  the  same  vicinity. 
In  parts  of  this  section  thick  beds  of  sand,  of  L/afayette  and 
later  age,  overlie  the  Cretaceous  beds  and  furnish  an  ample 
supply  of  shallow  waters,  which  is  probably  the  cause  of  the 
dearth  of  artesian  wells'. 

ORION  AND   VICINITY. 

T.  B.  Harmon's  well,  on  Gordon  place,  2  miles  northeast  of  Orion,  in 
the  S.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Section  29,  Township  12,  Range  21;  flow, 
1  1-2  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  1  foot  above  surface;  tempera- 
ture 67°. 

Wells  on  Silver  place:  No.  1,  2  1-2  miles  north  of  east  of  Orion,  in  the 
S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  32,  Township  12,  Range  21;  estimated 
flow,  15  to  20  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  1  foot  above  floor;  tem- 
perature, 66  1-2°.  No.  2,  3  miles  nearly  south  of  Orion,  in  the  N.  E.  quar- 
ter Section  4,  Township  11,  Range  21;  inaccessible;  in  decay,  flow  decreas- 
ing, probably  1  gallon  per  minute. 

Well  on  Oak  Grove  place,  owned  by  Fox  Henderson,  1  mile  east  of  Orion, 
near  center  of  Section  6,  Township  11,  Range  21;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  1  foot  above  surface;  temperature,  08°. 

Well  on  Jackson  place,  4  miles  southeast  of  Orion,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter 
Section  8,  Township  11,  Range  21;  depth.  332  feet;  flow,  40  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  ground;  temperature,  69°. 

The  wells  above  mentioned  were  all  put  down  in  1858  by  a  well  borer 
named  Ledbetter. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  225 

Judge  W.  R.  White's  well,  3  1-4  miles  east  of  Orion;  bored  by  J.  A. 
Sessions  in  1903;  depth,  287  feet;  diameter,  2  inches;  first  water  at  230 
feet;  second  water,  at  270  feet,  rose  to  —6  feet. 

LOGTOX. 

Booker  Lawson's  wells:  No.  1,  1  1-2  miles  west  of  Lpgton;  bored  by 
J.  A.  Sessions  in  1903;  depth,  263  feet;  first  water,  at  247  feet,  stands  at 
—23  feet.  No.  2,  bored  by  J.  W.  Radford  in  1901;  depth,  304  feet;  casing 
•i-inch;  first  water,  at  161  feet,  stand  —30  feet;  second  water,  at  263  feet, 
stand  —72  feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-10  feet;  marl,  10-161  feet;  sand  and  water. 
161-187  feet;  marl,  187-263  feet;  sand  and  water  followed  by  marl,  263-304 
feet.  Mr.  Radford  did  not  case  against  the  first  water.  He  had  a  sim- 
ilar experience  one-half  mile  south  of  the  above  location,  the  second 
water  not  rising  as  high  as  the  first.  Chunnennugga  Ridge  is  only 
about  6  miles  north  of  Logton  and  probably  100  feet  higher.  This  ridge 
is  the  probable  source  of  the  first  water  at  Logton,  and  this  may  ac- 
count for  the  exceptional  fact  that  the  first  water  rises  42  feet  higher 
than  the  second  water. 

LIXWOOD. 

Troy  Oil  and  Chemical's  Company's  well;  bored  by  J*  A.  Sessions  in 
1903;  depth,  80  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  64  feet,  stands  at  —23 
feet;  pumps  20,000  gallons  per  day. 

L.  \V.  XVilliams's  well,  2  1-2  miles  east  of  Linwood;  .bored  by  J.  A. 
Sessions  in  1903;  depth,  130  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  120  feet, 
stands  at  —83  feet.  Record:  Sand,  0-4  feet;  (?),  4-14  feet;  marl,  14-120 
feet;  sand  and  water,  120-130  leet. 

Only  one  attempt  at  an  artesian  well  in  the  Tertiary  area 
of  Pike  County,  viz,  at  Troy,  the  county  seat.  •  This  well  is 
on  a  moderately  high  ridge  similar  to  Chunnennugga  Ridge  in 
Bullock  County.  The  lower  part  of  Pike  County  is,  in  general 
well-  watered,  the  materials  of  the  Tertiary  formations,  like 
those  of  the  overlying  Lafayette,  being  suited  to  the  absorption 
and  storage  of  the  rainfall.  The  Clayton  member  of  the  Ter- 
tiary does  not  differ  widely  in  its  materials  from  the  Ripley 
underlying  it,  so  that  it  is  not -easy  to  draw  the  line  between 
Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  in  the  Troy  record. 

The  Nanafalia  sands  occupy  the  surface  in  the  lower  town- 
ships of  the  county,  and  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  getting 
artesian  waters  from  them. 


TROY. 

Public  well,  bored  at  the  expense  of  the  city;  elevation,  581  feet;  depth. 
L'.i;::_   feet;   flow   of   about  75  gallons  per  minute   obtained   at   depth   of  450 
feet,   but  lost  when  the  well   was  lowered;   well   finally   abandoned  after 
boring  cost  about  $26.000. 
15 


226  DETAILS:-    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

The  following  record    was    made   by   the   borer,   Mr.    Conover,    and   iett 
at  the  Troy  Normal  College  together  with  a  drawing  of  the  well. 

Record  of  public  well,  Troy. 


Feet. 

Clay     0  —      12 

Yellow   sand    12—    120 

Shell  rock  120—    126 

Green  marl    126  —    186 

Shell    rock    186  —    190 

Quicksand    190—    308 

Compact    sand 308  —    753 

Quicksand     753..    792 

Compact    sand    792—    798 

Coarse  white  sand  and  water   798—    914 

Blue  sand    914  —    954 

Blue  marl    954  —  1598 

Compact    sand    1598  —  1606 

Green   marl    1606  —  1614 

Shell  rock  and  coral  1614  —  1622 

Compact    sand  • -. 1622  —  1642 

Blue  marl   1642  —  1762 

Coarse    sand    1762  —  1770 

Coal   (lignite)    1770  —  1770  V2 

Green  marl   and  sand 1770  Y2  —  1780  l/2 

Compact  sand;  coal   (lignite)  2  inches..  1780  %  —  1784  % 

Coal    (lignite)     1784  %  —  1785  % 

Blue  marl  1785  %  —  2585  % 

Compact  sand   2585  %  —  2605  % 

Gray   marl    2605  %  —  2632  % 


At  this  depth  the  boring  should  almost  reach  the  crystalline  rocks  after 
passing  through  the  entire  thickness  of  the  Cretaceous  formations.  The 
uncertainty  as  to  what  is  meant  by  the  word  marl  makes  it  impossi- 
ble to  determine  accurately  the  formation  in  which  the  boring  stopped. 


BULLOCK  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  E'EATUP.ES. 

The  most  marked  topographic  feature  of  Bullock  County  is 
the  Chunnennugga  Ridge,  which  makes  the  divide  between  the 
waters  flowing  northward  into  the  Alabama  and  those  flow- 
ing southward  into  Chattahoochee,  Pea,  and  Conecuh  rivers. 
Like  all  s'uch  ridges  (called  "cueslas"  by  geographers)  in  the 
Coastal  Plain,  Chunnennugga  Ridge  has  a  steep  infacing 
(northward)  slope  and  a  very  gentle,  in  places  hardly  percep- 
tible slope  in  the  other  direction.  In  most  parts  of  the  county 
the  northern  edge  of  this  ridge  marks  approximately  the  line 
of  contact  between  the  Selma  chalk  and  the  sandier  strata  of 
the  Ripley. 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  227 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

In  the  northern  or  limestone  half  of  the  county  artesian  wells 
are  the  main  source  of  water,  which  is  derived  from  borings 
varying  in  depth  with  the  location.  The  record  given  below  cf 
the  Gray  well  at  Mitchell  Station  (altitude  252  feet),  on  the 
Central  of  Georgia  Railway,  is  interpreted  as  indicating  that 
the  boring  goes  through  the  Selma  chalk  and  into  the  Eutaw 
sands  below.  The  designations  marl,  rotten  stone,  etc.,  in  this 
record  are  not  easy  to  interpret,  but  the  location  of  Mitchell 
station  is  such  as  to  make  the  thickness  of  the  chalk  there 
about  200  feet  or  less. 

MITCHELL  STATION. 

Eli  Gray's  well,  bored  by  Frank  Tillotsbn;  depth,  394  feet;  casing 
enlarged  from  3  1-2-inch  to  6-inch  on  account  of  sand;  cased  to  marl. 
Record:  Top  soil,  0-18  feet;  marl,  18-268  feet;  limestone,  268-269;  rotten 
stone,  269-319  feet;  marl,  319-394  feet. 

Frank  Rutland's  well,  bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1899;  depth,  380  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  350  feet,  stood  at  —20  feet. 

FITZPATRICK. 

Atlantic  Compress  Company's  well,  bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1903; 
depth,  450  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water  at  400  feet;  water  stands  at 
—20  feet;  steam  pump  gives  20  gallons  per  minute. 

THOMPSON   STATION. 

Dallas  Patterson's  well,  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford  in  1897;  depth,  540  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  520  feet,  stood  at  —39  feet. 

NORTH   OF   CHUNNENNUGGA   RIDGE. 

Other  records  of  borings  in  the  limestone  country  north  of  Chunnen- 
nugga  Ridge  are  as  follows: 

Bob  Gholson's  well,  2  1-2  miles  southwest  of  Fitzpatrick;  bored  by  J.  W. 
Radford  in  1900;  depth,  535  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  500  feet, 
stands  at  — 45  feet. 

A.  V.  Barnett's  well,  High  Log  post-office,  5  miles  southwest  of  Fitz- 
patrick; bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1898;  depth,  700  feet;  casing,  4-inc»i; 
first  water,  at  680  feet,  stood  at  —60  feet;  pumps  10  gallons  per  minute. 

SHOPTON,    AND   VICINITY. 

Gus  Edwards's  well,  bored  by  J.  W.  Radford  in  1901;  \depth,  1050  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  1000  feet,  stands  at  —150  feet;  yield,  10  gal- 
lons per  minute  with  steam  pump. 


228  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

George  Edwards's  well,  2  miles  east  of  Shopton;  bored  by  Sessions 
in  1901;  depth,  988  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  988  feet,  stood  at 
-200  feet. 

BUGHALL. 

E.  C.  Dawson's  well,  bored  by  O.  B.  Bradword  in  1898;  depth,  1000  feet; 
casing,  4-inch;  stopped  in  marl;  no  water. 

UNION   SPRINGS   AND  VICINITY. 

Singleton  &  Linton's  well,  4  miles  northwest  of  Union  Springs;  bored  by 
J.  W.  Radford  in  1899;  deptn,  666  feet;  casing,  4-incn;  first  water  at  ouO 
feet;  second  water  at  636  feet;  third  water,  at  65b  feet,  stands  at  —122 
feet.  Record:  Soil  and  clay,  0-45  feet;  marl,  4b-560  feet;  sand  and  water, 
560-620  feet;  flint  rock,  620-636  feet;  sand  and  water,  636-64i  feet;  flhit 
rock,  641-655,  feet;  sand  and  water,  655-686  feet. 

A.  E.  Singleton's  well,  3  1-2  miles  west  of  Union  Springs;  bored  by  J.  W. 
Radford  in  1900;  depth,  650  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  600  feet, 
stood  at  —125  feet. 

S.  P.  Rainer's  well,  1  mile  west  of  Union  Springs;  bored  by  Y.  T.  Rad- 
forl.  in  1899;  depth,  815  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  775  feet, 
stood  at  —160  feet. 

Well  of  j.  H.  Rainer,  Jr.,  3  1-2  miles  north  of  Union  Springs;  bored  by 
Y.  T.  Radford  in  1901;  depth,  610  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  f>yi> 
feet,  stood  at  —120  fee.. 


Union  Springs  is  on  the  summit  of  Cunnennugga  Ridge, 
which,  as  before  stated,  is  on  the  contact  of  the  Selma  chalk 
with  the  Ripley  sands  and  clays.  The  altitude  of  the  ridg-: 
here  is  between  485  and  515  feet,  and  borings  for  water  are 
necessarily  deep,  and  with  no  prospect  of  flow.  The  wells 
which  supply  the  city  show  that  the  water  stands  at  — 238.5 
feet,  from  which  depth  it  is1  pumped  by  air  lift.  The  record  is 
as  follows : 

City  waterworks  wells,  Union  Springs;  altitude,  519  feet;  two  well.s, 
same  record  for  both;  bored  by  D.  A.  Caylor,  and  record  furnished  by 
him;  commenced  in  1894,  completed  in  1895;  depth,  848  1-2  feet;  cased 
to  the  bottom  with  8-inch  casing;  rests  on  very  hard  impenetrable  rock; 
water  stands  at  238  1-2  feet;  pumps  140  gallons  per  minute;  temperature, 
68°, 

Record  of  city  waterworks  wells,  Union  Springs. 

Feet. 

Top   soil    .,. 0  —    16 

Marl,  with  seams  of  light-gray  rock,  vary- 
ing in  thickness  from  2  to  12  inches 
occurring  every  25  feet  16  —  848  % 


WATERS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  229 
Analysis  of  water  from  city  waterworks  wells.   Union   Springs. 
(Analyst,  R.  8.  Hodges.) 

Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    6.6 

Sodium    (Na)    61.4 

Magnesium    (Mg)    

Calcium    (Ca)    2.5 

Iron   and  alumina   (Fe2O3  A12O3) .7 

Chlorine    (Cl)    94 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    31.8 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)    124  8 

Silica    (SiO2)    15.1 


252.5 


EAST   OF    UNION    SPRINGS. 

Eastward  from  Union  Springs  the  Ridge  loses  its  distinctive 
character,  passing  gradually  into  the  high  dividing  line  between 
the  Alabama  and  Chattahoochee  drainages.  The  two  records 
which  follow  come  from  this  high  land.  The  waters  from  the 
wells  in  this  section,  in  both  Macon  and  Bullock  counties,  are 
said  to  have  a  strong  odor  of  sulphur. 

Atlantic  Compress  Company's  well,  Suspension;  bored  by  Y.  T.  Rati- 
ford  in  1903;  depth,  700  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  700  feet,  stood 
at  —140  feet.  This  well  caved,  but  another  a  short  distance  away  gavo 
4  1-2  gallons  per  minute  with  pump. 

J.  Bank's  well,  Guerrytown;  bored  by  O.  B.  Radford  in  1904;  depth,  6'JU 
feet;  casing,  4-inch;  first  water,  at  5bO  feet,  stood  at  —7  feet.  As  soon 
as  pump  is  used,  water  falls  to  —100  feet. 

SOUTH    OF    UNION    SPRINGS. 

South  of  Union  Springs  deep  beds  of  sand,  either  of  Lafay- 
ette or  more  recent  formation,  overlie,  the  Ripley  strata,  the 
characteristic  red  loam  and  pebble  beds  of  the  Lafayette,  how- 
ever, appearing  in  many  localities.  This  part  of  the  county  is 
consequently  well  supplied  with  shallow  waters  and  deep  bor- 
ings are  rare.  Only  the  two  following  records  could  be  ob- 
tained : 


J.  C.  Graham's  well,  Inverness;  bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1902;  depth, 
925  feet;  casing,  4-inch;  no  water.  Record:  Quicksand,  0-10  feet;  marl, 
10-300  feet;  sand,  dry,  300-315  feet;  marl,  315-925  feet;  stopped  in  marl. 

W.  S.  Deason's  well,  near  Eric;  bored  by  Sessions  tn  1903;  depth,  106 
feet;  diameter,  4  inches;  first  water,  at  106  feet,  stands  at  -45  feet. 


230  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

CHATTAHOOCHEE  RIVER  DRAINAGE.     "BLUE  MARL"  REGION. 

STRATIGRAPHIC  CHARACTERS. 

East  of  Macon  County  the  three  upper  divisions  of  the 
Cretaceous,  so  easily  distinguished  to  the  west,  can  not  be  made 
out  with  any  definiteness.  The  succession  and  character  of  the 
strata  along  Chattahoochee  River  are  somewhat  as  follows : 

First.  A  great  series  of  bluish  micaceous  and  clayey  sands, 
with  indurated  ledges,  all  more  or  less  fossiliferous ;  and  mas- 
sive bluish  clays,  sometimes  with  lignitic  matter,  along  Chatta- 
hoochee River  for  a  distance  of  35  or  40  miles',  corresponding 
to  a  thickness  of  1000  feet  or  more.  These  beds,  or  at  least 
the  upper  half  of  them,  contain  shells  characteristic  of  the  Rip- 
ley  formation. 

Second.  A  series  of  cross-bedded  sands,  with  clay  partings, 
the  latter,  when  thick,  containing  many  fragments  of  ligni- 
tized  stems  and  leaves'  and  occasionally  large  logs,  also  ligni- 
tized ;  dark-colored  micaceous  sands  with  indurated  ledges  in 
which  are  fossil  oysters ;  nearly  black,  somewhat  sandy  clays 
and  clayey  sands,  with  many  fossils,  mainly  in  the  form  oi 
casts'.  These  beds  have  a  thickness  of  about  400  feet  along  the 
river.  The  fossils  of  this  series,  so  far  as  they  have  any  dis- 
tinctive characters,  seem  to  be  closely  related  to  the  specie- 
occurring  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Eutaw  sands. 

Third.  The  cross-bedded  sands  mottled  clays,  gray  clays, 
and  other  characteristic  materials  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation, 
extending  from  Broken  Arrow  Bend,  8  miles  below  the  city 
up  to  Columbus,  Ga.,  and  perhaps  farther.  This  formation 
seems  to  be  much  thinner  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  than 
farther  west. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  Selma  chalk  as  a  distinct  division, 
recognizable  by  its  physical  characters  and  its  fossils,  has  given 
out,  strata  with  Eutaw  fossils  being  directly  overlain  by  strata 
with  fossils  characteristic  of  the  Ripley,  into  which  the  chalk 
has  apparently  merged.  In  Russell  and  Barbour  counties  the 
Ripley  beds,  which  occupy  a  large  proportion  of  the  surface 
have  the  general  designation  of  "blue  marl." 

Along  the  upper  border  of  Russell  County  the  Tus'caloosa 
beds  are  exposed  about  Columbus,  Ga..  and  Girard  and  on  tht 
river  bluffs  from  Columbus  down  to  Broken  Arrow  Bend,  where 


WATERS  OF  THE:  CRETACEOUS.  231 

the  dark-gray  calcareous  sands  with  fossils  of  the  lowermost 
Eutaw  are  encountered.  The  other  strata  of  the  Eutaw,  con- 
sisting of  clayey  sands,  laminated  dark-gray  clays',  and  yellow 
and  white  sands,  are  exposed  alorg  the  river  bluffs  from  Bro- 
ken Arrow  Bend  to  the  mouth  of  Ihagee  Creek. 

From  Ihagee  Creek  down  to  Otho,  below  Eufaula,  the  river 
banks  show  the  succession  of  the  Cretaceous  beds,  which  are 
extremely  uniform  in  lithologic  character  and  which  contain 
throughout  the  characteristic  fossils  of  the  Ripley  group,  often 
in  the  finest  state  of  preservation  and  of  such  fresh  appearance 
as  to  suggest,  at  least,  that  they  are  of  Tertiary  age.  These, 
beds,  known  throughout  this  part  of  the  State  as  ''blue  marl", 
consist  of  bluish  or  gray  calcareous  effervescent  sands,  gener- 
ally containing  either  shell  fragments  or  entire  shells,  scales 
of  mica,  grains  of  glauconite,  bits  of  lignitic  matter,  etc.  The 
sands  show  variations  in  the  proportion  of  clay,  mica,  and  lig- 
nitic matter,  and  also  in  the  color,  which  shades  out  to  yellow 
where  much  weathered  and  merges  into  brown  where  the  pro- 
portion of  iron  is  considerable  and  the  material  is  not  too 
much  exposed  and  dried  out.  Some  s'hade  of  blue  or  dark 
gray  is  in  the  main,  characteristic  of  the  whole  series  below  the 
level  of  ground  water,  and  this  justifies  the  name  of  blue  marl, 
if  the  word  marl  be  used  to  designate  beds  of  almost  any  ma- 
terial containing  shells  or  fragments  of  shells.  The  bluish 
s'andy  beds  alternate  at  frequent  intervals  with  indurated  ledges 
of  similar  materials  compacted  into  rather  hard  rocks  by  a  cal- 
careous cement.  Such  ledges  usually  contain  large  numbers 
of  the  shells  of  the  various  oysters  characteristic  of  the  Creta- 
ceous, such  as  Hxogyra,  Gryphaea,  Anoniia,  Ostrea  in  several 
species. 

From  this  account  it  would  seem  that  the  Eutaw  and  Ripley 
beds  in  this  section  afford  fairly  good  conditions  for  artesiat; 
water  and  the  records  which  have  been  obtained  appear  to  in- 
dicate that  both  formations  do  yield  such  water;  flowing  wells 
are,  however,  rare. 

Russell  and  Barbour  are  the  two  typical  "blue-marl"  counties, 
but  many  of  the  characteristics  of  this  region  are  observed  in 
the  Cretaceous1  formations  of  Pike  County  and  of  the  southern 
part  of  Bullock  County,  and  the  artesian  conditions  of  these 
sections  are  practically  the  same  as  those  described  in  Russell 
and  Barbour. 


232  DETAILS  :       COASTAL   PLAIN    DIVISION. 

COUNTY    DETAILS. 

RUH8ELL  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  topography  of  Russell  County  does  not  offer  any  very 
marked  peculiarities.  As  usual,  many  of  the  high  divides  are 
capped  with  the  L,afayette  mantle  of  red  loam  arid  pebble? - 
making  level  plains  in  which  an  abundance  of  good  water  can 
always  be  had  from  wells  and  springs.  In  the  blue  marl  region, 
where  the  Cretaceous  beds  are  not  covered  by  this  mantle  of 
Lafayette,  water  may  generally  be  had  in  wells  varying  in 
depth  from  30  feet  in  the  lowlands  to  50  or  60  feet  in  the  up- 
lands. If  it  is  not  obtained  at  that  depth,  it  will  not  be  found 
by  penetrating  into  the  blue  marl.  Some  of  these  wells  go  dry 
in  summer,  and  especially  was  this  the  case  in  1897. 

The  records  given  below  are  instructive.  It  is  to  be  remarked 
that  the  water  in  these  borings  stands  at  a  higher  level  than  is 
generally  the  case.  In  most  of  the  State  the  water  does  not 
overflow  when  the  altitude  of  the  well  is  much  above  225  feet, 
and  not  always  at  lower  elevations.  At  Hurtsboro,  with  an 
altitude  of  346  feet,  the  water  stands  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
surface  (8  or  less),  as  it  does  also  at  Hatchechubbee,  with  an 
altitude  of  311  feet. 

ARTESIAN   RECORDS. 

KAOLIN    STATION. 

Two  wells,  bored  by  the  City  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  une  mile 
south  of  the  City,  near  Kaolin  Station  on  Central  of  Georgia 
railway. 

No.  i  drilled  by  L.  B.  Clay,  of  Bartow,  Ga.,  Depth  286  feet 
diameter  not  known ;  water  rises  12  to  15  feet  above  the  ground. 
Record — Clay,  etc.,  0-5  feet;  sand  and  gravel,  5-33  feet;  decom- 
posed sand  rock,  gravel  and  chalk,  33-53  feet;  hard  chalk,  marl 
and  soft  rock,  53-113  feet;  water  bearing  strata,  113-116  feet; 
marl,  116-146  feet;  water  bearing  strata,  146-153  feet;  marl  and 
rock,  153-173  feet;  artesian  water  strata,  173-185  feet;  red 
clay,  blue  marl  and  soft  sand  rock,  185-235  feet;  hard  rock. 
235-238  feet;  water  sand,  or  honey  comb  water  bearing  rock. 


WATERS  OF  THK   CRETACEOUS.  233 

•238-245  feet;  flint  rock,  very  hard,  245-246  feet;  alternating 
thin  layers  of  marl  rock  and  water  bearing  strata,  246-281  feet ; 
granite  rock,  very  hard  281-286  feet. 

No.  2.  Drilled  by  Perry  Andrews  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Depth 
about  280  feet;  diameter  12  inches;  estimated  flow  5,000  gal- 
lons a  day  without  pumping,  estimated  yield  by  air  lift  120,000 
gallons  a  day.  Water  rises  12  to  15  feet  above  the  surface 

In  both  these  wells'  the  underlying  granite  was  reached  and 
the  boring  discontinued  at  about  280  feet  depth. 


Public  well,  Hurtsboro;  altitude,  346  feet;  bored  in  1898  by  Morrison  and 
Wicker;  top  soil,  15  feet;  sand  and  ma*rl.  110  feet;  two  ledges  of  shell 
rock  in  the  marl,  2  feet;  compact  sand  and  shell  rock  every  3  or  4  feet 
down  to  4CO  feet;  water-bearing-  sand  with  some  red  clay  at  bottom;  total 
depth,  530  reet;  casing,  50  feet.  4-inch;  water  stands  at  -9  feet;  tempera- 
ture 68°. 

W.  H.  Bank's  well.  Hurtsboro;  depth.  526  feet;  water  stands  at  -8  feet; 
temperature,  66°.  Record:  Top  to  blue  marl,  68  feet;  marl,  125-200  feet 
thick,  with  about  20  ledges  of  shell  rock,  very  hard;  compact  white 
sand  between  the  ledges  of  shell  rock;  hard  red  clay  under  the  marl; 
then  water-bearing  sand. 

J.  P.  Crawford's  well,  Hurtsboro;  bored  in  1898;  depth,  302  feet;  casing, 
102  feet,  2%-inch;  water  stands  at  -2~y2  feet;  pump  easily  exhausts  flow; 
flows  freely  after  five  minutes;  water  colors  vessels. 

Record  of  J.  P.  Crate  ford' a  ircll,  Ilurtxboro. 


Feet. 

Ijime    rock    0        -    12 

Shell  rock   12     —    13% 

Gray  and  red  sands 13%  —    85 

Marl     85      -  107 

Gray  flint  rock   107      —  108 

Hard    marl     108      -  138 

Rock    138      —139 

Marl     139      -185 

Rock    185       -187 

Marl     187      —200 

Gray   sand    200      —215 

Hard  rock  (water  rose  to  -4%  feet) 215      —217 

Sand  and  mica  217      —  243% 

Rock    243%  —  244 

Compact    sand    , .244      —246 

Sand   and   mica    246      —  263 

Sand  and  lignite   263      —  278 

Water-bearing   sands    2fi&      —302 


Eton  Tucker's  well,  Hurtsboro,  one-fourth  mile  northeast  of  Craw- 
ford well;  bored  by  Mr.  Tucker  in  1902;  depth.  560  feet;  water  stands  at 
-24  feet;  record  same  as  other  Hurtsboro  wells. 


234  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

HATCHECHUBBEE    AND    VICINITY. 

C.  E.   Ingram's  well,   Hatchechubbee;   altitude,   311   feet;   depth,   400  feet 
Water  stands  at  surface;   casing,   20   feet,   3-inch. 

Record  of  C.  E.  Ingrain's  well,  Hatchechubbee. 


Feet. 

Top  Soil   0  —    20 

Marl     20  —  100 

Coarse  sand,  with  shell  rock 100  —  140 

Hard  greenish  marl  1-±0  —  200 

Sand    and   shell   rock    200  —  300 

Pink   marl    300  —  350 

Red  clay   (bottom   sand)    .. .350  —  400 


The  wells  of  L.  C.  Cooper,  F.  P.  Haddock,  J.  M.  DeLacy,'  and  A.  B. 
Walker,  in  Hatchechubbee,  were  all  put  down  at  the  same  time;  all  are 
close  together  and  the  records  are  the  same  as  that1  of  the  Ingram  well. 

McMicken  well,  3  miles  south  of  Hatchechubbee;  bored  by  W.  M.  Mor- 
rison in  1898;  water  stands  at  -50  feet;  casing,  20  feet,  3-inch;  top  to 
marl,  12  feet;  marl  130  feet  thick;  thin  ledge  of  shell  rock. 

Jim  Perry's  well,  8  miles  south  of  Hatchechubbee;  record  same  as  that 
of  McMicken  well. 

SEALE    AND    VICINITY. 

Court-house  well,  Seale;  bored  in  1898  by  Wicker  &  Morrison;  depth, 
170  feet;  water  stands  at  -30  feet;  casing,  120  feet,  3-inch;  90  feet  through 
clay,  coarse  gravel,  and  coarse  sand  with  small  black  grains;  this  sand 
alternates  with  shell  rock  from  6  inches  to  2  feet  in  thickness;  log  at  40 
feet. 

J.  S.  Brannon's  well.  2l/2  miles  north  of  Seale;  depth,  400  feet;  water 
rises  to  -75  efet;  casing,  entire  depth.  4-inch. 

OSWICHEE. 

W.  J.  McLendon's  well,  near  Chattahoochee  River;  depth,  465  feet.  Rec- 
ord:    Sand  and  clay,  20  feet;   marl  with  shell,  65  feet;  beds  of  sand  and 
marl,  15  to  25  feet  thick,  alternating,  to  380  feet;  hard  rock,  2  feet;  sand 
to  445  feet.    Water  at  this  point  flowed  12  gallons  per  minute,  but  has  de 
creased  to  4  gallons.     Well  lowered  20  feet  into  sand  to  hard  rock* 


WATERS  OF  THE;  CRETACEOUS.  235 

Analysis  of  water  from  W  J.  MvLendon's  well,  Oswichee. 
(Analyst.  R.  8.  Hudyes.) 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    1.8 

Sodium    (Na) 23.9 

Magnesium    (Mg)    .7 

Calcium    (Ca)    11.5 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 2.0 

Chlorine   (Cl)    1.7 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    6.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3) 93.5 

Silica    (SiOo)    36.8 


178.3 


Of  the  wells  described  above,  those  at  Oswichee  and  Scale 
undoubtedly  go  into  the  Eutaw  formation,  since  these  two 
places  are  close  to  the  contact  of  the  two  formations.  The  wells 
at  Hatchechubbee  also  penetrate  into  the  Eutaw,  but  the  two 
south  of  Hatchechubbee  barely  reach  it.  The  deepest  of  the 
Hurtsboro  wells  may  go  down  to  the  Eutaw,  but  the  shallower 
ones'  hardly  do  so. 

The  wells  along  the  Seabord  Air  Line,  described  below,  are 
farther  from  the  contact  of  the  Eutaw  and  Ripley,  and  as  they 
are  relatively  shallow  they  do  not  pass  out  of  the  Ripley  sands 
or  marls, 

RUTHERFORD    AND    VICINITY. 

R.  P.  Tallman's  well,  Rutherford,  10  miles  southeast  of  Hurtsboro;  bored 
by  W.  E.  Wicker  in  April.  1898;  depth,  164  feet;  casing,  22  feet,  3-inch; 
flow,  18  gallons  per  minute;  piped  into  residence;  temperature,  68°.  Rec- 
ord: Top  to  marl,  22  feet;  marl  with  ledges  of  shell  rock,  100  2eet.  Later 
information  is  that  the  water  here  has  ceased  to  flow  and  that  other 
wells  in  the  vicinity  of  Rutherford  and  Hurtsboro  either  no  longer  flow 
or  have  much  weaker  streams  than  when  first  bored. 

H.  M.  Rutherford's  well,  Rutherford;  depth,  135  feet;  casing,  20  feet, 
3-inch;  flowed  6  gallons  per  minute  for  two  years,  stands  now  at  surface; 
temperature,  68°.  Record:  Top  soil,  18  feet;  marl,  about  100  feet;  bal- 
ance sand  and  water. 

Mr.  W.  M.  Morrison  bored  two  more  wells  for  Mr.  Rutherford  in  1901 
and  furnishes  the  following  details:  No.  1,  at  residence;  depth,  about 
180  feet;  water  stands  at  -1  foot.  Record:  Clay  and  sand,  20  feet;  blue 
marl.  130  feet;  hard  shell  rock,  6  inches;  water-bearing  sand,  30-40. feet; 
hard  blue  rock,  4  feet;  sand  to  bottom.  No.  2,  at  store,  near  railroad; 
same  depth  and  record  as  No.  1;  flow,  1%  gallons  per  minute. 

G.  L.  Hardin's  wells,  Rutherford:  No.  1,  "brick-yard  well,"  three- 
fourths  mile  south  of  Rutherford;  bored  by  Mr.  Hardin  in  1902;  depth,  105 
feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water,  at  90  feet,  stood  at  6  feet  above  the  sur- 


236  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

face;  flow,  weak;  present  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3 
feet  above  the  surface;  temperature.  66°.  Record:  Soil.  0-15  feet,  at  60 
feet,  18  inches  of  soft  shell  rock;  sand,  90-105  feet.  No.  2,  "ginnery  well," 
one-half  mile  east  of  Rutherford;  bored  by  Mr.  Hardin  in  1899;  depth. 
140  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water,  at  120  feet,  stood  at  18  feet  above 
the  surface;  flow.  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  3,  three- 
fourths  mile  west  of  Rutherford;  bored  by  Mr.  Hardin  in  1901;  depth,  130 
feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water  at  115  feet,  stood  at  1  foot  above  the  sur- 
face; flow  2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  66°.  Record  same  as  oth- 
ers. 

N.  W.  E.  Long's  well,  1  mile  northeast  of  Rutherford;  depth,  120  feet; 
water  stood  at  -4  feet;  increased  to  small  flow;  gravel,  marl,  and  sand. 

Well  on  Hatcher  plantation,  1%  miles  northwest  of  Rutherford;  depth, 
160  feet;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute;  cased  to  marl  with  3-inch  casing. 

T.  L.  McDonald's  well,  2  miles  northwest  of  Rutherford;  bored  by  G.  L. 
Hardin  in  1900;  depth,  260  feet;  first  water  stands  at. -60  feet. 

Well  on  plantation  of  S.  T.  Margaret,  2  miles  south  of  Rutherford; 
bored  by  W.  M.  Morrison  in  1901;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute.  Record: 
Clay  and  sand.  15  feet;  blue  marl  to  130  feet;  gray  sand  and  water  to  175 
feet. 

Gus  Battle's  well,  2  miles  south  of  Rutherford,  on  high  red  hill;  boreri 
by  W.  L.  Morrison  in  1901;  water  stands  at  -40  feet.  Record:  Clay  and 
sand,  70  feet;  blue  marl  to  210  feet;  water-bearing  sand,  30  feet. 

Upshaw  Brothers'  well,  S1/^  miles  southeast  of  Rutherford;  bored  by 
Geo.  Thompson  in  1901;  depth,  150  feet  (?);  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  67°. 

Mr.  Thompson  also  bored  two  wells  at  Persons  Crossing,  3  or  4  miles 
east  of  Rutherford,  about  which  no  reliable  information  could  be  ob- 
tained. One  is  owned  by  J.  W.  Upshaw  and  the  other  by  T.  L.  Mitchell. 

PITTSHORO  AND  VICINITY. 

Well  at  store  of  J.  W.  Upshaw,  near  Hooks  Station.  8  miles  west  of 
Pittsboro;  bored  by  Wicker  in  1898;  depth,  325  feet;  water  used  is  from 
strata  at  122  feet;  water  rises  to  -35  feet;  unlimited  supply;  colors  ves- 
sels; ,  casing,  20  feet,  3-inch.  Record:  Top  soil,  0-20  feet;  marl  with 
ledges  of  shell  rock,  20-120  feet;  sand  and  water,  120-122  feet;  marl,  122- 
325  feet. 

Well  on  L.  C.  Lamb's  plantation,  8  miles  west  of  Pittsboro;  bored  in 
May,  1898;  depth,  129  feet;  casing,  24  feet.  3-inch;  flow.  10  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  67°;  colors  vessels.  Record:  Top  soil,  0-20  feet; 
marl,  20-128  feet;  shell  rock,  sand  underneath,  128-129  feet. 

Well  at  R.  B.  Adams's  plantation,  S1^  miles  northwest  of  Pittsboro; 
bored  by  Wicker  in  1898;  casing,  20  feet  4-inch;  water  rises  to  -50  feet; 
very  hard;  pumps  free,  supply  inexhaustible.  Record:  Top  to  marl. 
18  feet;  water  and  sand;  97  feet;  does  not  go  below  the  marl. 

Well  at  L.  C.  Lamb's  residence,  3%  miles  northwest  of  PittSk,orjo;  bored 
by  Wicker  in  1898;  casing,  20  feet,  4-inch.  Record:  Top  to  marl,  18  feet; 
bored  to  97  feet  to  sand  and  water,  marl  underneath. 

Public  well,  Pittsboro;  bored  by  W.  E.  Wicker  in  1898;  casing,  26  feet, 
3-inch;  flow,  three-fourths  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  72°;  tastes 
of  sulphur  and  colors  vessels  with  iron;  stated  to  be  good  for  stomach 
troubles.  Record:  Surface  to  marl,  24  feet;  marl,  with  two  layers  of 
hard  shell  rock,  193  feet;  quicksand,  2  feet,  with  hard  rock  at  bottom. 
The  analysis  of  the  water  from  this  well  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is  as  follows: 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  237 

Analysis  of  water  from  public  well,  Pittsboro. 


Potassium   (K) 

Parts  per  million. 
1  5 

Sodium    (Na)    

59  1 

Magnesium    (Mg)    

8 

Calcium   (Ca) 

9  0 

Iron  and  alumina  (FegOa    AljjOs).... 

9 

Chlorine   (Cl)    

61.3 

Sulphuric  acid   (804) 

1  6 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   
Silica    (SiOg) 

82.6    • 
41  0 

257.! 


Well  at  J.  W.  Caldwell's  gin,  Pittsboro;  depth,  445  feet;  casing,  26  feet, 
3-inch;  original  flow,  one-half  gallon  per  minute;  present  flow,  1  quart 
per  minute;  temperature,  72°;  colors  vessels. 


Record  of  J.  W.  Cahlir ell's  icelL  Pittsboro. 


Feet. 

Top   soil    0        -    18 

Marl     18      —    78 

Shell  rock  78        -    78% 

Marl,  sand  and  water  (1  gallon  in  8  minutes).  78%  —  225 
Marl,  sand  and  water  '(%  gallon  per  minute). 225  —  265 
Marl  (hard  rock  at  bottom)  265  —  445 


F.  P.  Pitts's  well,  at  residence,  Pittsboro;  depth,  217  feet;  temperature, 

5     . 

Record  of  F.  P.  Pitt's  well.  Pittsboro. 


Feet. 

Top  Soil    0  —    20 

Marl     20  —    60 

Soft  shell  rock   60—    61 

Marl     61  —    75 

Sand    75  —    80 

Hart  flint  rock   80  —    82 

Marl  (water  and  sand,  1  quart  in  12  minutes)..  82  —  165 

Marl     165  —  185 

Marl   (flow  increased  to  32  gallons  per  minute, 

drill    lost)    185  —  217 


OLE1MV1LLE    AND    VICINITY. 

Comer-Bishop  Company's  well,  on  Cowikee  Creek,  near  Glenville;  bored 
by  Morrison  in  1899;  depth,  514  feet;  water  stands  at  -9  feet.  Record: 
Clay,  0-8  feet;  coarse  gravel,  8-18  feet;  marl,  shell  rock,  4  inches  thick, 
18-294  feet;  water-bearing  sands,  294-514  feet. 


238  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN   DIVISION. 

Wells  on  on  Capt.  E.  C.  Perry's  plantation,  near  Glenville:  No.  1, 
depth,  164%  feet;  casing,  22  feet,  3-inch;  water  rises  to  25  feet  above  the 
surface;  flow,  100  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°. 

Record  of  E.  C.  Perry's  well,  No.  1,  near  Glenville. 


Feet. 

Top  soil    0        -    15 

Quicksand     15      —    17 

Marl     17      —  1GO 

Shell   rock    160     —  160% 

Water-bearing  sands    160%  —  164% 


Analysis  of  icater  from  E.  C.  Perry's  well  No.  1,  near  Glenville. 
(Analyst,  R.  8.  Hodges.) 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K) 8.6 

Sodium    (Na)    87.2 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.5 

Calcium  (Ca) 36.5 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 1.8 

Chlorine   (Cl)    73.5 

Sulphuric   acid   (SO4) 175.9 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3)...- 12.8 

Silica  (SiO2)  19.4 

417.2 


No.  2,  one-half  mile  from  No.  1;  bored  by  Geo.  Thompson  in  1899;  depth, 
175  feet;  flow,  60  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  67°.  Record  same  as 
No.  1. 

Wells  on  Hatcher's  plantation,  on  Chattahoochee  River;  4  or  5  flowing- 
wells  are  reported  here,  but  no  records  were  obtainable. 


BARB  OUR  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  area  of  Barbour  County  is  about  equally  divided  between 
the  Ripley  division  of  the  Cretaceous  on  the  north  and  the 
lower  divisions  of  the  Tertiary  on  the  south. 

Some  details  have  already  been  given  under  Russell  County, 
of  the  Ripley  strata  as  exhibited  in  the  eastern  counties  of  this 
section.  These  beds  consist  in  the  main  of  bluish  or  grayish 
sands,  with  scales  of  mica,  grains  of  greensand,  and  very  gen- 
erally fragments  and  decomposed  masses'  of  marine  shells. 


WATERS  OF  THE  CRETACEOUS.  239 

The  presence  of  calcareous  material  in  the  sands  has  caused 
the  name  marl  to  be  applied  to-  them  and  to  the  formation  as  a 
whole  throughout  this  part  of  the  State.  Besides  the  sandv 
marl,  thick  beds  of  somewhat  massive  clay  are  not  uncommon 
in  some  parts  of  the  county,  where  they  form  the  basis  of  a 
certain  class  of  soils  known  as  the  "hog  wallow"  prairie. 

South  of  the  latitude  of  Clayton  the  Tertiary  strata'  lap  over 
those  of  the  Cretaceous  and  determine  in  great  measure  the 
character  of  the  soils  and  of  the  topography.  The  contact  of 
Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  in  many  parts  of  this  county  is'  marked 
by  a  well-defined  ridge  similar  to  the  Chunnennugga  Ridge  of 
Bullock  County,  though  differing  in  the  geologic  formations  in- 
volved. 

In  its  upper  part  this  ridge,  which  may  be  called  the  Clay- 
ton Ridge,  is  made  by  the  Clayton  limestone,  with  a  double 
capping  consisting  of  beds  of  the  Grand  Gulf  massive  and 
laminated  clays  and  sands,  and  the  usual  red  loam,  sands,  and 
pebble  beds  of  the  Lafayette. 

The  northward- facing  slope  of  Clayton  Ridge  is  steep  and 
well  marked,  while  the  southward  slope,  being  structural,  is 
gentle  and  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  a  level  plain.  On 
the  summit  of  the  ridge  is  the  town  of  Clayton,  to  the  north  of 
which  lie  the  calcareous  lands  of  the  "blue  marl"  region,  while 
to  the  south  the  surface  is  .generally  sandy,  partly  from  the 
materials  afforded  by  the  Tertiary  strata  and  partly  from  the 
overlying  Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette  deposits'. 

The  presence  beneath  the  surface  of  limestone  of  the  Clay- 
ton and  Nanafalia  horizon  is  shown  for  many  miles  south  of 
its  outcrop  by  the  bold  springs  of  blue,  limestone  water  which 
break  out  in  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the  county.  The  be^t 
known  of  these  is  the  Blue  Spring,  a  place  of  resort  for  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  county.  This1  spring  breaks  out  in  the 
bottom  of  Choctawhatchee  River  and  occupies  a  nearly  circular 
area  about  25  feet  in  diameter.  The  water  is  clear  and  blue 
like  that  of  the  Big  Springs  of  Florida,  but  of  considerably 
lower  temperature. 

In  both  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary  terranes  the  divides  are 
often  high,  level  plains  capped  with  the  materials  of  the  La- 
fayette. As  a  matter  of  course  surface  waters  in  such  regions 
are  abundant  and  of  good  quality.  In  the  Tertiarv  formations 


240  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

also  there  seems'  to  be  no  lack  of  water  supply  from  ordinary 
wells  and  springs. 

In  the  northern  half  of  the  county,  on  the  other  hand,  where 
the  Lafayette  sands  are  not  present  and  the  water  must  be  ob- 
tained from  the  blue  marl  strata,  the  supply  is  deficient  and  ar- 
tesian borings  are  necessary. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  few  available  records  of  the  bored  wells  of  Barbour 
show  that  the.  borings  have  not  gone  deeper  than  the  Riple> 
strata,  except  possibly  in  the  case  of  the  Eufaula  Oil  and  Gin 
Company's  well  which  may  have  reached  the  Eutaw  sands.  It 
may  be  remarked  again  in  this  connection  that  along  Chatta- 
hoochee  River  below  Columbus',  the  whole  Cretaceous  series 
above  the  Tuscaloosa,  shows  a  great  uniformity  of  material, 
so  that  it  is  not  easy  to  distinguish  between  the  Eutaw  and  the 
Ripley  where  there  are  no  fossils  available. 

EUFAULA   AND    VICINITY. 

At  Eufaula  the  altitude  of  the  well  from  which  the  city 
supply  is  derived  is  no  feet  below  that,  of  the  railroad  track 
at  the  depot,  or  90  feet  above  mean  tide ;  that  of  the  Oil  and 
Gin  Company's  well  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  depot-2OO 
feet  above  tide ;  and  that  of  the  well  at  Moulthrop's  brick  yard 
is  probably  intermediate  between  the  two.  At  the  two  lower 
wells  the  water  overflows,  but  not  at  the  other.  In  all  these 
the  supply  s'eems  to  be  inadequate. 

City  Water  Company's  well,  Eufaula,  under  the  bluff  on  the  west 
bank  of  Chattahoochee  River,  110  feet  below  the  city;  casing.  4-inch;  flow, 
5  3-4  gallons  per  minute;  hydraulic  ram  used;  temperature,  68°.  Boring 
is  in  marl  to  water-bearing  sands  at  4CO  feet;  several  layers  of  soft  rock; 
hard  rock  below  the  water-bearing  sand. 

Eufaula  Oil  and  Gin  Company's  well,  Eufaula;  bored  in  1895;  depth,  950 
feet;  water  at  first  stood  at  -2(5  feet;  now  stands  at  -50  feet;  cased  at  300 
feet,  4-inch  and  6-inch;  supply  insufficient;  well  abandoned. 


\\ATKRS  OF  THE   CRETACEOUS.  241 

Record  of  Eufaula  Oil  and  din  Company's  well,  Eufaula. 


Feet. 

Top  soil  and  sand   0—    30 

Marl 30  —  380 

Soft    sandstone    380  —  381 

Cavity  with  a  little  water  381  —  389 

Marl,  water  below  in  very  fine  sand  389  —  950 


Well  at  Moulthrop's  brick  yard,  1  mile  southeast  of  JtJufaula;  bored 
in  April,  1900.  by  Eugene  Thompson;  depth,  350  feet;  casing,  20  feet, 
4-inch;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute.  Record:  Top  soil,  0-20;  marl  water, 
20-350.  The  water  bearing  bed  in  this  well  is  a  sharp  gray  sand  of  fine 
grain,  used  by  engineers  for  grinding  valves.  The  boring  went  15  feet 
deeper  than  this  sand  and  struck  a  hard  rock  which  was  not  pierced. 
The  marl  contains  a  great  many  shells,  and  in  it  at  intervals  of  about 
30  feet  occur  indurated  crusts.  The  following  analysis  of  the  water  from 
this  well  was  made  by  the  Pratt  Laboratory,  of  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Moulthrop's  well,  Eufaula.* 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na) 136.92 

Potassium    (K) 3.05 

Calcium   (Ca) 3.49 

Magnesium    (Mg)     • .79 

Chlorine    (Cl)    13.68 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4) 5.25 

Carbonic  acid   (CO8)    172.83 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 1.88 

Silica   (SiO2)    15.92 

Organic  and  volatile  matter  33.02 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hpothetical  combi- 
nations;  recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 

Comer-Bishop  Company's  well,  on  Jennings  Fryer  place,  6  miles  north 
of  Clayton;  bored  by  W.  L.  Morrison;  record  furnished  by  him;  depth, 
277  feet;  water  stands  at  —80  feet.  Record:  Top  soil,  0-30  feet;  marl,  30-1'^0 
feet;  sand  with  layers  of  very  hard  rock,  from  4  inches  to  4  feet  thick, 
120-277  feet.  The  analysis  of  this  water,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is  as  follows: 


242  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Comer-Bishop  Company's  well,  near  Clayton. 


'        Parts  per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    3.3 

Sodium    (Na)    ' 77.8 

Mag-nesium    (Mg)    4.3 

Calcium    (Ca)    14.9 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 7.0 

Chlorine   (Cl)    17.5 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    27.6 

Carbonic  acid   (HCO8)    212.7 

Silica   (SiO2)    28.1. 

393.2 


HARRIS   AND   VICINITY. 

B.  B.  Comer's  well,  Harris;  bored  by  W.  L.  Morrison  in 
1899;  record  furnished  by  him;  depth,  780  1-2  feet. 

Record  of  B.  B.  Comer's  well,  Harris. 


Feet. 

Clay 0  —      4 

Coarse   sand    4  —    20 

Blue  marl   20  —  120 

Shell  rock   120  —  120% 

Sand     120%  —  130 

Soft    rock    130  —133 

White  sand  with  plenty  of  water  containing 

white  sediment;  not  good;  cased  off 133  —  153 

Soft  shell  rock  and  hard  marly  sand 153  —  220 

Blue  marl   220  —  550 

Hard  blue  sand  550  —  6GO 

Marly   sand    and    shell    rock    alternating;    no 

more  water (500  —780 


C.  H.  Bishop's  well,  Harris;  bored  in  September  1899,  by 
W.  L.  Morrison;  record  furnished  by  him;  depth,  183  feet; 
water  rises  to  — 10  feet;  pump  put  down  to  120  feet;  yield,  6 
gallons  per  minute  by  pump. 

Record  of  C.  H.  Bishop's  well,  Harris. 


Feet. 

Clay  and  sand 0—    13 

Marl     13  —  103 

Hard  shell  rock  103  —  105 

Marl     105  —  110 

Shell   rock    110  —  112 

Water-bearing-   sands    112  —  115 

Shell    rock    and    marl    alternating 115  —  140 

Compact    marl    140  —  183 


WATERS  OJ?  THE   CRETACEOUS.  243 

The  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges  shows  this  water  to  have  the 
following  composition : 

Analysis  of  water  from  C.  H.  Bishop's  well,  Harris. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K) 3.8 

Sodium    (Na)    85.3 

Magnesium    (Mg>    5.1 

Calcium    (Ca)    9.3 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3.  A12O3) 5.3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    17.5 

Sulphuric   acid   (SO4) 31.6 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3) 211.6 

Silica   (SiO2) 18.9 


B.  B.  Comer's  wells,  all  bored  by  D.  A.  Sylvester:  No.  1,  at  Harris  Sta- 
tion, 150  yards  from  depot;  depth,  62  feet;  casing,  3-inch,  to  marl;  first 
water,  at  55  feet,  stands  at  9  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  7 
gallons  per  minute  at  2  feet  above  the  surface;  present  flow,  one-eighth 
gallon  per  minute.  Record:  Soil.  0-16  feet;  marl,  16-55  feet;  sand,  55-62 
feet;  thin  shell  rock  at  52  feet.  No.  2,  75  yards  west  of  Harris  Station, 
on  higher  ground  than  No.  1;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  110  feet;  casing,  3-inch 
to  marl;  first  water  at  107  feet,  stood  at  -14  feet.  Record:  Soil,  0-17  feet; 
marl,  17-107  feet;  sand.  107-110  feet.  No.  3,  300  yards  north  of  west  of 
Harris  Station;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  108  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water, 
at  100  feet,  stood  at  surface;  second  water,  at  106  feet;  original  flow,  one- 
half  gallon  per  minute;  present  flow,  one-sixth  gallon  per  minute;  tem- 
perature, G8°.  Record:  Sand,  10-17  feet;  marl,  17-100  feet;  sand,  100-103 
feet;  rock,  103-1CH  feet;  sand,  106-1C8  feet.  No.  4,  1  mile  south  of  Harris 
Station;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  139  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water  at  134 
feet;  original  flow,  3V2  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  3  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  66°.  No.  5,  4  miles  southwest  of*  Harris  Station; 
bored  in  1904;  depth,  201  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water,  at  197  feet;  rose 
to  3  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  present 
flow,  2%  gallons  per  minvite;  strong  of  sulphur;  temperature,  68°.  No. 
6,  150  yards  west  of  No.  5;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  184  feet;  first  water  at 
180  feet,  rose  to  3  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  2  1-2  gallons  per 
minute;  present  flow,  IV2  gallons  per  minute;  thin  shell  rock  at  90  and 
135  feet;  strong  of  sulphur;  temperature,  67^°.  No.  7,  5  miles  southwest 
of  Harris  Station;  bored  in  1904;  casing,  3-inch;  first  water  at  164  feet; 
rose  to  3  feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  6  gallons  per  minute.  No.  8,  3 
miles  southeast  of  Harris  Station;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  218  feet;  first 
water  at  208  feet;  second  water,  at  215  feet,  stood  at  -9%  feet.  Record: 
Sand  and  clay,  0-37  feet;  marl  with  much  sand,  37-42  feet;  hard  rock,  42-43 
feet;  marl  with  sand,  43-215  feet;  so  much  sand  mixed  with  the  marl  that 
the  well  had  to  be  cased  to  the  bottom.  No.  9,  4  miles  west  of  north 
of  Cowikee;  bored  in  1902;  depth,  165  feet;  first  water  at  158  feet;  second 
water,  at  160  feet;  rose  to  2  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  2  gal- 
lons per  minute;  present  flow,  iy2  gallons  per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 
No.  10,  three-fourths  mile  northeast  of  No.  9;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  19S 
feet  (?);  record  unreliable.  No.  11,  one-half  mile  west  of  No.  9;  bored  in 
1902;  depth,  330  feet;  first  water,  at  326  feet;  stands  at  -22  feet;  tastes  of 


244  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

alum.  No.  12,  one-half  mile  northwest  of  No.  11;  bored  in  1902;  depth, 
3"<0  feet;  first  water  at  355  feet;  second  water,  at  363  feet,  stands  at  -26 
feet.  No.  13,  1  mile  west  of  No.  9;  bored  in  1804;  depth,  170  feet;  first 
water,  at  164  feet,  rose  to  4  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow,  3%  gal- 
lons per  minute;  present  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  temperatur,  67°. 
No.  l-±,  on  Cody  place,  300  yards  east  of  No.  10;  bored  in  1904;  depth,  171 
feet;  record  same  as  No.  10.  No.  15,  2y2  miles  northeast  of  Cowikee;  bored 
in  1902;  depth,  270  feet;  first  water,  at  166  feet;  flow,  2  gallons  per  minute; 
temperature,  69°.  No.  16,  4  miles  east  of  Cowikee;  bored  in  19C2;  3  wells 
here  on  Richardson  place;  same  record  as  No.  15;  flow,  4  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  69°.  No.  17,  located  7  miles  north  of  east  of  Cowi- 
kee; tored  in  1£C2;  depth,  280  feet;  first  water,  at  274  feet;  stood  at  -19 
feet. 
Well  at  Spring  Hill,  Cowikee;  depth,  600  feet;  water  stands  at  -18  feet. 

CLAYTON. 

City  well,  bored  by  Y.  T.  Radford  in  1903;  depth,  560  feet;  cased  to  bot- 
tom, 4-inch,  6-inch,  8-inch,  and  12-inch;  first  water,  at  520  fe^et;  stood  at 
-252  feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-50  feet;  sand,  50-80  feet;  yellow  clay,  80-120  feet; 
quicksand  120-220  feet;  rock  and  marl,  220-520  feet;  sand  and  water,  520-560 
feet. 

The  character  of  the  water  from  this  well  is  shown  by  the  analysis 
below,  made  by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  city  well,  Clayton. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K) 4.6 

Sodium    (Na) 69.4 

Magnesium    (Mg)    2.9 

Calcium   (Ca)    19.5 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 6.5 

Chlorine    (Cl)     21.2 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4) 25.7 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)    195.5 

Silica   (SiOo)    26.8 

372.1 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY 

WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY. 

GENERAL  STATEMENT. 

As  has  been  stated,  (p.  no),  the  number  of  artesian  wells  in 
the  Tertiary  area  is  as  yet  comparatively  small,  and  the  data 
are  not  at  hand  for  defining  the  artesian  horizons  with  the 
precision  that  is  possible  in  the  case  of  some  parts  of  the  Cre- 
taceous. A  general  account  of  the  character  and  succession 
of  the  Tertiary  strata  has  been  presented  in  Chapter  I  (pp. 
4-25).  To  this  account  is  here  added  a  more  extended  consid- 
eration of  these  beds  in  their  relations  to  underground  waters, 
especially  artesian. 

The  Clayton  limestone,  at  the  base  of  the  Tertiary,  seems 
nowhere  to  be  of  importance  as  an  artesian  horizon,  but  in  the 
eastern  counties  its  occurrence  is  of  such  magnitude  as  to  give 
rise  to  underground,  cavern-conducted  streams  and  their  at- 
tendant "big  springs." 

The  great  body  of  Sucarnochee  clays,  next  above  the  Clay- 
ton, is  also  wholly  unsuited  to  the  absorption  and  storage  of 
the  rainfall.  They  underlie,  in  Alabama  and  Mississippi,  the 
"Flatwods,"  or  "Post  Oaks,"  in  which  the  soils  are  generally 
tough  and  intractable,  badly  drained,  and  thus  difficult  of  cul- 
tivation. All  this  region  is  deficient  in  good  water,  and  very 
much  of  it  is  waste  land. 

Between  these  Flatwoods  clays  and  the  base  of  the  Ciai- 
borne,  is  a  great  thickness — 750  feet  or  more — of  sands  and 
clays  and  sandy  clays,  interspersed  with  beds  of  lignite  and 
deposits  of  marine  shells.  These  constitute  the  Chickasaw 
(Wilcox)  division  of  the  Tertiary,  or  Lignitic,  as  it  was  for- 
merly called,  throughout  which  the  conditions  are  more  or  less 
favorable  to  artesian  systems ;  for,  while  most  of  the  strata 
are  sandy,  yet  interspersed  throughout  their  entire  thickness 
are  beds  of  clay  and  of  indurated  calcareous  sands,  so  disposed 
as  to  confine  the  waters  which  may  have  permeated  and  filled 
the  more  sandy  strata.  Bored  wells  at  the  proper  altitudes 
throughout  this  whole  territory  should,  therefore,  yield  water 
from  depths  varying  locally. 


246  DETAILS:    .COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

It  has  been  found  by  experience  that  in  the  Chickasaw  or 
Lignitic  division  the  Nanafalia  sands,  together  with  the  adja- 
cent parts  of  the  Naheola  below  and  the  Tuscahoma  above, 
form  a  good  artesian  reservoir.*  At  the  top  of  this'  division 
the  Woods  Bluff  and  Hatchetigbee  sandy  clays  with  indurated 
layers  constitute  another  artesian  horizon,  which'  is  drawn  upon 
by  a  number  of  wells. 

The  Claiborne  formation,  with  its  three  members,  Gosport, 
Lisbon  and  Buhrstone.  aggregating,  400  to  450  feet  in  thick- 
ness, consists'  of  sands,  interstratified  in  the  lower  (Buhrstone) 
member  with  beds  of  clay,  often  indurated  into  rock,  and  in  the 
upper  member  with  indurated  ledges  of  calcareous  sands.  The" 
whole .  formation  is  therefore  well  adapted,  both  in  materials 
and  structure,  to  serve  as  an  artesian  water  horizon.  Many 
wells  in  Georgia  and  Mississippi  and  a  few  in  Alabama  de- 
rive their  waters  from  this  reservoir. 

The  St.  Stephens  limestone,  being  calcareous  throughout, 
would  on  general  principles  be  regarded  as  unfavorable  for  ar- 
tesian waters;  but  the  limestone  varies  widely  in  character, 
from  an  open,  porous  rock  to  a  very  compact  limestone  capable 
of  taking  a  fine  polish ;  and  experience  has1  shown  that  it  fur- 
nishes the  water  supply  of  a  number  of  artesian  wells. 

The  marine  Tertiary  beds  of  Miocene  and  later  age  do  not 
appear  at  the  surface  to  any  great  extent  anywhere  in  Ala- 
bama, being  covered  by  the  Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette  beds; 
but  the  wells  in  Mobile  and  Baldwin  counties  have  amply  dem- 
onstrated the  fact  that  they  are  fine  water  reservoirs,  though 
the  water  is  often  impregnated  with  salt. 

Throughout  the  entire  region  underlain  by  the  above-men- 
tioned strata  the  prevalence  of  sands  in  the  residual  soils,  as 
well  as  in  the  later  Lafayette  rnd  Grand  Gulf,  which  cover  so 
much  of  the  territory,  has  generally  insured  an  abundance  of 
good  water,  breaking  out  along  hillsides  as  springs  or  within 
easy  reach  in  shallow  wells,  and  thus  the  necessity  has  not  been 
felt  for  seeking  water  by  artesian  borings. 

This  review  of  the  Tertiary  formations  in  Alabama  leads 
to  the  conclusion  that  artesian  water  should  be  obtained  from 
almost  anv  horizon  above  the  Sucarnochee  clays.  It  will  be 


*In  the  map  of  the  Artesian  Systems  (Plate  XIII),  the  water 
horizon. designated  as  Nanafalia,  is  meant  to  include  also  adjacent 
parts  of  the  Naheola  and  Tuscahoma. 


GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  ALABAMA.  UNDERGROUND  WATER  RESOURCES.  PLATE  XVII. 


A.     BLUE  POND— NEAR  DIXIE,  COVINGTON  COUNTY. 


B.    PAVILION  OF  SULPHUR  WELL,  NEAR  JACKSON,  CLARKE  COUNTY. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  247 

seen  further  that  there  is  in  the  Tertiary  terranes  no  area  in 
which  the  water  conditions  are  dominated  by  a  limestone  of 
great  thickness,  like  the  Selma  chalk  of  the  Cretaceous.  As  a 
consequence  there  is  no  belt  across  the  State  within  the  limits 
of  the  Tertiary  that  can  be  compared  with  the  chalk  area  in 
regard  to  the  number  of  artesian  wells  and  the  conditions 
which  make  them  almost  a  necessity.  The  nearest  approach 
thereto  is  in  the  Flatwoods,  or  Post  Oaks,  underlain  by  the 
Sucarnochee  clays ;  a'nd  here  the  parallel  extends  mainly  to  the 
dearth  of  shallow  waters  in  both  sections.  In  the  one  cas'e  the 
strata  are  limestones  of  various  kinds ;  in  the  other  they  are 
clays;  in  both. the  shallow  waters  are  in  excess  in  the  winter 
months  and  almost  entirely  absent  during  the  dry  seas'on;  in 
both  water  for  domestic  use  is  stored  in  cisterns  excavated  in 
the  country  rock,  limestone  or  clay. 

The  fact  that  the  limestone  soils  of  the  Cretaceous  are 
among  the  most  productive  in  the  State,  has  been  the  cause  of 
the  early  settling  of  the  Cretaceous  region  and  the  earlv  re- 
course to  artesian  borings  to  supply  human  needs.  In  the 
Flatwoods,  on  the  other  hand,  the  native  fertility  of  the  soil 
has  not  been  so  immediately  apparent,  for  the  country  is 
badly  drained  and  difficult  of  cultivation  and  hence  not  much 
in- proved ;  but  the  farmers  are  beginning  to  appreciat :  the 
potential  value  of  these  lands,  and  deep  borings  are  being  made 
in  'ncreasing  numbers  to  supply  the  grea«esf  deficiency  of  the 
region-good  water. 

The  typical  Flatwods  in  Alabama  are  in  Sumter  and  Ma- 
rengo  counties,  the  underlying  black  clays  becoming  gradually 
more  calcareous  toward  the  east,  so  that  acros's  Alabama  River 
in  Wilcox  County,  the  tough,  intractable  Flatwoods  clays  are 
replaced  by  highly  calcareous  clays  which  weather  into  fine, 
black  prairie  soils.  The  water-bearing  strata  for  artesian 
wells  of  moderate  depth  in  the  Flatwoods,  as  well  as  in  the 
Wilcox  County  prairie  lands,  are  the  Ripley  beds,  which  on 
the  outcrop  are  hardly  more  than  loose  sands1,  the  lime  having 
been  leached  out  of  them;  below  water  level,  however,  the\ 
may  be  compact  calcareous  sandstones,  comparatively  imper- 
meable. 

In  several  counties  in  northeastern  Mississippi,  where  the 
same  conditions  prevail,  wells  bored  in  the  Flatwoods  reach 
water  at  reasonable  depths,  the  water  rising  not  to  the  surface, 


248  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

but  within  pumping  distance.  In  Sumter  County,  Ala.,  also, 
there  are  several  old  wells  in  the  Flatwoods  with  the  water 
standing  -within  100  feet  of  the  surface ;  in  Marengo  County 
several  wells  350  to  800  feet  deep  have  been  put  down  in  the 
Flatwods  region  and  the  water  stands  in  them  within  40  to  60 
feet  of  the  surface.  During  the  past  twelve  months  deep  wells 
in  the  Flatwods  have  been  s'unk  through  the  Selma  chalk  and 
obtained  water  from  the  underlying  Eutaw  sands.  In  one  in 
stance,  viz.,  at  Cates  in  Marengo  county,  overflowing  water, 
25  gallons  per  minute,  was  reached  at  1120  feet  depth.  It 
seems  therefore  in  the  highest  degree  probable  that  artesian 
water  may  be  obtained  in  almost  any  part  of  the  Flatwoods, 
at  depths  varying  from  300  to  noo  or  1200  feet.  The  shal- 
lower wells  have  not  as  yet  yielded  overflowing  water,  but 
those  which  penetrate  into  the  Eutaw  sands'  are  likely  to  get  it. 

With  an  abundance  of  good  water  for  domestic  purposes, 
the  Flatwoods,  heretofore  allowed  to  lie  uncultivated,  would 
become  desirable  farming  lands  in  places  where  proper  drain- 
age is  practicable. 

In  the  area  underlain  by  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  there 
is,  as  a  rule,  no  actual  need  of  artesian  borings  for  a  water 
supply.  In  Washington,  Choctaw,  and  Clarke  counties,  how-. 
ever,  by  reas'on  of  the  Hatchetigbee  anticlinal  uplift,  this  'for- 
mation lies  at  the  surface  through  a  belt  of  considerable  width. 
In  this  belt  the  presence  of  black  limy  soils. and  the  dearth  t>!.' 
surface  waters  present  similar  conditions  to  those  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Selma  chalk,  and  here  also  artesian  wells  are  nu- 
merous. This  is  especially  the  case  in  Clarke  and  Wayne  coun- 
ties, Mississippi,  at  the  west  end  of  this  anticline,  where  it  is 
crossed  by  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  the  towns  of  Shu- 
buta,  Waynesboro,  and  Winchester  being  supplied  by  arte- 
sian wells  going  down  into  the  underlying  Claiborne  beds. 
In  Alabama  there  are  few  artesian  wells  in  this  belt,  partly  at 
least  for  the  reason  that  it  is  not  crossed  by  a  railroad  line 
and  has  few  towns  of  considerable  size. 

South  of  the  outcrop  of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  except  in 
a  few  places,  the  only  formations  appearing  at  the  surface  are 
the  Grand  Gulf,  the  Lafayette,  and  the  later  s'ands  of  the  bot- 
tom lands  and  parts  of  the  coast,  the  shallow  waters  being  found 
almost  exclusively  in  the  two  flrst  named.  The  Lafayette  will 
be  referred  to  in  connection  with  shallow  waters  in  almost 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  249 

every  county  in  the  Tertiary  division  of  the  Coastal  Plain,  and 
further  description  of  it  here  is  unnecessary;  but  because  of 
the  preponderating  influence  of  the  Grand  Gulf  in  some  of  the 
lower  counties — Washington,  Mobile,  Baldwin,  Escambia,  and 
Covington — a  fuller  account  of  it  and  of  the  late  Tertiary  for- 
mations hidden  underneath  it  will  be  presented  at  this  point. 
This  account  will  be  made  clearer  by  Plates  XVI  to  XXII 
referred  to  below,  which  show  the  variations  in  the  formation 
due  to  geographic  distribution.  Plate  XVI,  B,  illustrates  the 
relations  of  the  strata  north  of  Alabama  River  at  Gainestown, 
Clarke  County.  Here  the  Grand  Gulf  overlies  the  St.  Steph- 
ens limestone,  which  may  be  seen  in  all  the  low  bluffs  a  short 
distance  back  from  the  river  bottom.  The  Grand  Gulf,  which 
consists  of  sands  with  intercalated  beds  oi  clay,  is  in  its  turn 
overlain  by  a  capping  of  Lafayette  red  loam  and  pebbles'.  None 
of  the  St.  Stephens  is  shown  in  the  view,  but  it  outcrops  a 
few  hundred  yards  distant  from  this  locality.  In  those  parts 
of  the  Grand  Gulf  terrane,  where  the  limestone  is  near  the  sur- 
face, lime-sinks  and  consequent  deep  ponds  are  common  and 
characteristic.  The  view  of  Blue  Pond,  in  Covington  county, 
near  Dixie  P.  O.  Plate  XVII,  A,  shows  a  rather  exceptional 
type  of  these  limesink  ponds,  in  that  its  formation  has  been  of 
such  recent  date  that  the  banks  are  not  yet  rounded  up  by 
weathering  but  remain  nearly  vertical.  It  gives,  however,  the 
plainest  evidence  of  its  origin.  Usually  the  sinks  are  not  so 
s'harply  defined  because  of  the  wearing  down  and  filling  in 
around  the  edges,  and  the  lakes  or  ponds  take  on  the  character- 
istics of  the  lakes  so  numerous  in  Florida.  These  occur  where 
the  limestone  is  not  very  deep  below  the  surface  and  is  covered 
by  the  Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette  materials.  Only  one  of. this 
class1  of  pond  is  known  in  Alabama  and  that  is  McDade's 
Pond  near  Florala,  close  to  the  Florida-Alabama  line  in  Cov- 
ington county,  and  shown  in  Plate  XXIII. 

To  the  south  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  sinks  deeper  and 
deeper  below  the  surface  and  its  influence  on  the  topography 
gradually  dies  out.  Other  later  Tertiary  (Miocene)  marine 
beds,  many  feet  in  thickness,  come  in  above  the  limestone  as 
it  sinks.  These  later  beds  are  .exposed  at  comparatively  few 
places,  but  their  presence  is  amply  demonstrated  by  all  the  deep 
borings  in  Mobile,  Baldwin,  and  Escambia  counties,  at  Oak 
Grove,  Fla.,  and  along  Chattahoochce  River. 


250  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Above  these  marine  beds,  apparently  with  nearly  if  not  quite 
horizontal  stratification,  lie  the  two  great  surface  formations  of 
the  Coastal  Plain — the  Grand  Gulf  and  the  Lafayette — practi- 
cally unchanged  in  materials  and  stratification  down  to  the 
very  borders  of  the  bays'  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  High  bluffs 
of  Grand  Gulf  material  capped  with  the  Lafayette,  overlook 
these  bays  at  many  points  where  deep  borings  reveal  the  pres- 
ence of  Miocene  shell  beds  700  to  1 500  feet  or  more  below.  At 
Montrose,  on  Mobile  Bay,  between  Daphne  and  Point  Clear, 
there  is  a  fine  exposure  of  the  two  formations,  as  shown  in 
Plate  XVIII.  The  capping  of  Lafayette  red  loam  and  pebbles 
is'  clearly  distinguishable  from  the  main  mass  of  the  bluff, 
which  is  made  by  the  sands  and  laminated  clays  of  the  Grand 
Gulf.  The  unconformity  between  the  two  formations  is  also 
very  clearly  shown  in  this  view  where  the  indurated  layer  in 
the  Grand  Gulf,  many  feet  below  the  Lafayette  at  the  left  of 
the  view,  is  in  contact  with  it  at  the  extreme  right,  the  Lafayette 
following  the  contour  of  the  surface  while  the  Grand  Gulf  is 
nearly  horizontal  in  stratification.  So  far  as  can  be  seen  the 
materials'  here  are  similar  to  those  at  Gainestown  Ferry. 

Similar  unconformities  may  be  seen  at  many  points  in  Alaba- 
ma and  Mississippi,  for  the  Lafayette  seems  to  have  been  spread 
over  the  surface  of  the  country  after  it  had  attained  approxi-^ 
mately  its  present  relief.  On  Perdido  Bay,  from  Lillian  to  Sol- 
dier Creek  Post  office,  and  probably  at  many  other  points  not 
visited  by  the  writer,  these  same  formations  make  high  bluffs 
coming  down  to  the  water's  edge.  (Plates  XIX  and  XX). 
The  character  and  arrangement  of  the  materials  of  the  two 
formations  along  Perdido  Bay  are  not  essentially  different  from 
what  may  be  seen  at  Montrose. 

A  few  words  may  be  said  in  regard  to  the  surface  features 
of  these  highlands,  which,  as  is'  shown  in  the  views  just  referred 
to,  extend  down  to  salt  water.  South  of  the  belt  in  which  the 
underlying  St.  Stephens  causes  the  lime-sinks  and  ponds,  the 
general  surface  down  to  the  Gulf  is  that  of  a  plateau,  the  high, 
flat  lands  being  well  adapted  for  farming  and  grazing,  but  now 
devoted  practically  to  two  industries — timber  and  turpentine. 
The  monotony  of  thes'e  high,  flat  lands  is,  however,  everywhere 
interrupted  by  shallow  depressions  or  sinks,  few  of  them  ex- 
ceeding 4  or  5  feet  in  depth.  Water  may  collect  in  these  de- 
pressions, forming  ponds  a  few  yards  to  40  or  50  yards  in  eh- 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  251 

ameter,  around  which  a  shrubby  growth. of  gums  may  spring 
up  (PI.  XXI.)  Other  depressions,  in  many  cases  larger  than 
the  ponds,  may  be  void  of  shrubby  undergrowth  or  of  stand- 
ing water,  and  thus  give  rise  to  savannahs  or  pine  meadows,  as 
shown  in  Plate  XXII.  The  latter  term  is  often  applied  to 
lowrer  lying  lands  timbered  with  longleaf  and  Cuban  pine.  The 
savannahs  grade  into  more  undulating  lands  which  with  their 
growth  of  high  grass  and  bright  flowers  and  absence  of  dis- 
figuring undergrowth  give  the  impression  of  being  well  kept 
parks.  Through  these  parks  one  may  drive  for  miles  in  al- 
most any  direction  without  need  of  road  or  path.  In  the  sa- 
vannahs the  growth  of  pine  is  stunted;  in  the  park  lands'  it  is 
better,  but  not  of  the  best. 

There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  cause  of  these  depressions, 
which  are  characteristic  in  Florida,  Georgia,  Alabama,  Miss- 
issippi, and  presumably  in  the  other  Gulf  States.  They  seem, 
however,  to  be  due  to  inequalities  in  the  surface  of  the  under- 
lying Grand  Gulf  clays,  since  there  are  generally  no  underlying 
limestones  or  other  soluble  materials  near  enough  to  the  surface 
to  cause  the  formation  of  so  many  small  depressions  of  limited 
extent  within,  s'ay,  an  acre  of  territory. 

The  above  account  will,  it  is  thought,  better  than  any  other 
description,  show  the  absolute  dependence  of  the  shallow-water 
conditions  in  the  lower  counties  on  the  two  late  formations 
which  have  so  much  in  common,  both  being  spread,  with  no  ap- 
preciable prevailing  dip,  over  the  beveled  edges  of  the  south- 
ward-dipping St.  Stephens  and  later  Tertiary  formations. 

The  artesian  conditions'  in  this  territory  are  fixed  by  the  un- 
derlying Tertiary  formations  above  mentioned.  That  they  are 
generally  favorable  is  demonstrated  by  the  success  of  borings 
in  Escambia  and  Mobile  counties,  very  few  having  been  made 
in  the  other  counties  where  similar  conditions  prevail. 


252  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

DISCUSSION  BY  COUNTIES. 

HENRY  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  older  Tertiary  formations  winch  underlie  the  territory 
of  Henry  County  include  the  Nanafalia  sands  and  the  Hatche- 
tigbee  and  Claiborne,  all  of  which  in  other  places  are  good  arte- 
sian reservoirs.  Over  the  greater  part  of  the  county  there  are, 
in  addition  to  the  above,  two  more  recent  formations,  the  Grand 
Gulf  and  the  Lafayette,  in  the  materials  of  which  is  stored  a 
generous  supply  of  surface  water  to  be  drawn  on  by  springs  and 
shallow  wells'.  There  is  no  lack,  therefore,  of  good  freestone 
waters  in  most  parts  of  the  county.  With  proper  selection  of 
altitude,  there  should  be  no  trouble  in  getting  artesian  water 
from  the  deeper  beds. 

ARTESIAN  RECORD. 

The  record  of  only  one  deep  well  in  Henry  County  has  been 
obtained — the  town  well  at  Abbeville;  bored  by  Van  Vleet  in 
1904;  depth.  401  feet;  water  stands  at  — 172  feet;  pump  yields 
60  gallons  per  minute  for  seven  hours.  The  formation  at  the 
^surface  is  the  Buhrstone  and  the  boring  penetrates  probably 
into  Tuscahoma  or  Nanafalia  sands. 


HOUSTON  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  surface  of  new  county  of  Houston  is  covered  in  many 
parts  by  the  red  sandy  loams  and  pebble  beds  of  the  Lafayette. 
Below  these  are  the  sands  and  stratified  clays  of  the  Grand 
Gulf,  and  under  them  the  white  St.  Stephens'  limestone.  The 
last-named  formation  underlies  the  entire  area  of  the  county 
except  some  small  tracts  in  the  extreme  northern  part  and 
along  Chattahoochee  River  about  Columbia.  . 

Owing  to  the  character  of  the  two  surface  formations  the 
water  supply  from  wells  and  springs  is  in  geneial  good  in 
quality  and  Adequate  in  quantity. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  253 

ARTESIAN  RECORDS. 

Deep  wells  are  recorded  from  two  points  only — Columbia 
and  Dothan. 

COLUMBIA. 

Columbia  is1  situated  on  the  terrace  of  Chattahoochee  River 
in  the  Claiborne  formation. 

Well  bored  by  Harrington  about  1890  or  1891;  depth,  485  feet;  casing, 
8-inch  and  6-inch,  to  bottom;  water  rose  to  -8  feet,  and  an  excavation 
of  14  feet  was  made  around  the  well  to  obtain  a  flow;  yield,  50  gallons 
per  minute;  considered  very  fine  water;  analysis  shows  magnesia.  Rec- 
ord: Marl  near  the  top  about  150  feet  thick;  hard  shell  rock  at  frequent 
intervals  below  to  the  bottom;  probably  in  Nanafalia  sands. 

DOTHAN. 

City  Water  Company's  wells:  No.  1,  bored  by  C.  A.  Ray,  of  Providence. 
R.  I.,  in  1896;  depth,  625  feet;  water  stands  at  -150  feet;  yield  with  air 
life,  2CO  gallons  per  minute;  water  excellent;  casing,  8-inch  to  about  300 
feet;  remainder  6-inch;  flow  has  increased;  present  yield,  250  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  12°.  No.  2,  bored  5  feet  from  No.  1;  depth  unknown; 
no  water  obtained. 

Town  well,  in  Section  24,  Township  3,  Range  26;  bored  by  S.  S.  Chandler 
in  1903;  depth,  645  feet;  casing,  425  feet  8-inch;  210  feet  6-inch;  first  water 
at  360  feet,  stood  at  -75  feet;  second  water,  at  600  feet,  stands  at  -130  feet; 
air-life  gives  250  gallons  per  minute;  level  lowered  to  -150  feet. 

Record  of  town  well,  Dothan. 


Feet. 

Clay     0  —    20 

Sand    20-177 

Sand    rock    177  —  239 

Dry    sand    239  —  247 

Sand    rock    247  —  ?67 

Dry  sand   267  —  344 

Sand   rock    ,...344  —  395 

Sand    395-511 

Sand   rock    511  —  517 

Sand  and  water 517  —  640 


Ice  Company's  well,  bored  by  Frank  Sutter  in  1904;  depth,  622  feet; 
casing,  0-200  feet,  8-inch;  200-495  feet  6-inch;  first  water,  at  400  (?)  feet, 
stood  at  -60  feet,  small  supply;  second  water,  at  622  feet,  stands  at  -70 
feet;pumping  level,  -150  feet;  yield,  50  gallons  per  minute.  Record: 
Clay,  0-100  feet;  coarse  gravel,  100-102  feet;  sand,  102-210  feet;  s-^nd  with 
layers  of  soft  rock  from  1  inch  to  6  feet  in  thickness,  210-575  feet;  dry 
sand,  575-600  feet;  clay,  600-G22  feet;  sand  at  622  feet. 

Dothan  is  on  the  St.  Stephens  formation  and  these  borings  probably  go 
down  into  the  Nanafalia  sands. 


254  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

GENEVA  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

Geneva  County  lies  practically  wholly  within  the  territory 
of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  but  the  Tertiary  rocks,  instead 
of  dipping  uniformly  southward,  lie  in  undulations  which  bring 
the  strata  of  the  Claiborne  to  the  surface  along  the  banks  of 
Pea  River,  even  as  far  as  the  town  of  Geneva,  near  the  southern 
border  of  the  county.  For  this  reason  it  is'  not  easy  to  deter- 
mine the  horizon  to  which  the  bored  wells  penetrate. 

Over  the  older  Tertiary  rocks  lie,  as  usual  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  the  Grand  Gulf  sands  and  stratified  clays  in  variable 
thickness,  and  upon  these,  where  not  removed  by  erosion,  the 
Lafayette  red  s'andy  loams  and  pebble  beds.  These  two  later 
formations  afford  favorable  conditions  for  abundant  supplies 
of  good  surface  water  from  wells  and '  springs.  At  Coffee 
Springs  there  are  several  magnificent  springs  boiling  up 
through  the  sands  and  running  off  in  a  brook  of  good  size. 

ARTESIAN  RECORDS. 

The  artesian  wells  of  Geneva  County  do  not  flow,  probably 
because  of  the  lack  of  head  due  to  the  irregularities  in  the  dip 
of  the  Tertiary  strata.  The  supply,  however,  seems  to  be  am- 
ple, the  water  in  most  of  them  being  in  all  probability  obtained 
from  the  strata  of  the  Buhrstone.  But  few  records  have  been 
collected  since  the  boring  of  deep  wells,  except  at  the  town 
of  Geneva,  began  only  on  the  completion  of  the  branch  of  the 
Central  of  Georgia  railway  through  the  county  a  few  years  ago. 

The  wells  at  Hartford  and  Slocomb  begin  in  the  St.  Steph- 
ens1 and  reach  the,  base  of  the  Claiborne  or  the  upper  part  of  the 
Buhrstone.  • 

GENEVA. 

Public  well,  bored  by  W.  L-.  Morrison  in  1900;  water,  at  307  feet,  rose  to 
-14  feet,  the  supply  appearing  inexhaustible;  but  through  some  dissatis- 
faction the  city  council  insisted  on  boring  deeper,  with  the  resul  that 
the  casing  was  broken,  the  flow  lost,  and  the  well  finally  abandoned. 
Record:  Coarse  white  and  yellow  sand,  6-30  feet;  yellow  marl,  30-42  feet; 
bluish  sand,  42-80  feet;  buhrstone,  (?)  soft  in  middle,  80-84  feet;  blue  sand, 
84-94  feet;  shell  rock,  94-98  feet;  sand  and  coral  rock  alternating,  96-338 
feet.  The  bottom  of  the  boring  was  probably  in  the  Buhrstone  or  the 
underlying  Hatchetigbee. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  255 

Town  well,  bored  by  S.  S.  Chandler  in  1903;  depth,  261  feet;  casing,  108 
feet  10-inch,  148  feet  8-inch;  first  water,  at  129  feet,  stood  at  -10  feet; 
second  water,  at  216  feet,  stood  at  -12  feet;  air  lift  used;  yield  (estimated), 
60  gallons  per  minute.  Record:  Sand,  0-108  feet;  lime  rock  (probably  Clai- 
borne),  108-129  feet;  gravel,  first  water,  129-133  feet;  marl,  133-183  feet;  lime 
rock  (probably  Claiborne),  183-250  feet;  sand,  second  water,  250-261  feet. 

Besides  these,  several  shallow  artesian  wells  have  been  sunk 
in  Geneva,  a  typical  one  supplying  the  railroad  tank  near  the 
river.  The  boring  goes  down  80  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
track,  getting  water  from  below  the  first  rocky  or  limestone 
ledge,  with  a  stand  of  — 12  or  — 15  feet.  A  well  s'everal  feet 
in  diameter  is  sunk  to  this  point  and  bricked  up.  A  pump  de- 
livering between  4000  and  5000  gallons  per  hour  holds  the  level 
of  the  water'  at  a  constant  point,  which  represents  the  capacity 
of  the  well.  The  water  is  quite  pure  and  soft  and  free  from 
taste  of  any  kind. 

HARTFORD. 

Town  well,  bored  by  W.  C.  Van  Vleet  in  1904;  depth,  314  feet;  first  water 
at  200  feet;  second  water,  at  314  feet,  stands  at  -18  feet;  estimated  yield, 
100  gallons  per  minute  for  three  days;  pumping  level,  -25  feet. 

SLOCOMB. 

Morris  Lumber  Company's  well,  bored  in  1901  by  the  mill  hands;  depth, 
280  feet;  casing,  160  feet,  6-inch;  water  stands  at  -28  feet;  pump  delivers 
50  gallons  per  minute. 


DALE  COUNTY. 
ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Dale  County  shows  a  great  range  in  the  Tertiary  formations, 
which  extend  from  the  Nanafalia  to  the  St.  Stephens  limestone, 
all  of  them  covered,  in  places  at  least,  by  the  two  later  forma- 
tions' so  often  mentioned,  the  Grand  Gulf  and  the  Lafayette. 
There  are  correspondingly  great  possibilities  in  its  water  re- 
sources, both  surface  and  artesian.  As  yet,  however,  artesian 
boring  has  been  done  only  at  Ozark  the  county  seat,  which  is 
on  the  outcrop  of  the  Woods  Bluff  marl.  At  the  depth  of  710 
feet  the  boring  must  be  near  the  base  of  the  Tertiary,  if  not  in 
the  underlying  Ripley. 


256  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

OZAEK. 

Town  well,  altitude  about  8  feet  below  that  of  the  Railroad  track; 
bored  by  W.  E.  Hughes,  of  Specialty  Well  Drilling  Company,  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  in  1902;  depth,  710  feet;  first  water  at  250  x .')  feet;  second  water 
at  710  feet;  capacity  of  well  by  air  lift,  200  gallons  per  minute.  Record: 
Red  clay,  0-40  feet;  marl,  40-5CO  feet;  sand,  marl  and  shell  rock  (prob- 
ably the  shell  bed  of  the  Nanafalia),  500-525  feet;  525-710  feet  not  recorded, 
or  at  least  the  record  not  obtained;  boring  probably  ends  .'n  the  Clay- 
ton. An  analysis  of  the  water  from  this  well  has  been  made  by  Mr. 
Hodges,  as  follows: 

Analysis  of  water  from  town  well,  Ozark. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    2.9 

Sodium    (Na) 6.1 

Magnesium    (Mg)    7.7 

Calcium    (Ca)    47.7 

Iron  and  alumina -(Fe2O3,  A12O3) 1.4 

Chlorine   (Cl) 3.5 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4) 8.8 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3) 132.9 

Silica   (SiO2)    45.3 


256.3 


COFFEE  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES . 

The  underlying  older  Tertiary  formations  of  Coffee  County 
range  from  the  Nanafalia  member  of  the  Lignitic  in  the  north 
to  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  in  the  extreme  south.  Over  all 
these  are  found  locally  remnants  of  the  Lafayette  sands,  loams, 
and  pebbles. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Artesian  borings  have  been  made,  so  far  as  information  has 
been  obtained,  only  at  Elba,  Brockton,  and  Enterprise.  The  w?ll 
bored  in  1904  at  Elba  gets  water  in  the  Nanafalia  sands,  as 
shown  by  the  shells'  brought  up  with  the  borings.  The  Enter- 
prise well  probably  goes  no  deeper  than  the  Hatchetigbee  sands 
underlying  the  Burstone.  The  shallower  wells  at  Elba,  160 
to  185  feet  deep,  hardly  go  deeper  than  the  Hatchetigbee  or 
Woods  Bluff  horizon,  or  perhaps  into  the  upper  .part  of  the 
Tuscahoma  sands,  the  town  itself  being  on  Hatchetigbee  strata. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  257 

ELBA    AND   VICINITY. 

The  most  instructive  of  the  wells  at  Elba  is'  that  at  the  rail- 
road depot,  bored  by  S.  S.  Chandler  in  1904;  depth,  reached 
in  the  latter  part  of  July,  293  feet;  diameter,  12  inches,  reduced 
to  10.  Record:  Surface  sands,  0-16  feet;  marl  or  laminated 
grayish  blue  clays,  16-265  feet ;  water-bearing  sands  with  shells 
of  Gryphaea  thirsae,  265-293  feet.  These  shells  show  that  the 
horizon  is  the  Nanafalia. 

Public  well,  bored  at  the  Elba  court-house  in  1899  by  W.  L.  Morrison: 
flow,  '1%  gallons  per  minute  at  a  depth  of  150  feet;  water  now  stands 
just  at  the  surface;  temperature,  68°.  Record:  Yellow  clay,  2  feet;  coarse 
yellow  sand,  16  feet;  blue  compact  marl,  42  feet;  hard  lignitic  material, 
40  feet;  blue  marl,  30  feet;  sand  and  lignite  to  the  bottom  at  150  feet.  Other 
deep  wells  have  been  sunk  by  the  same  driller  in  this  locality. 

Well  4  miles  west  of  Elba,  on  an  elevation  about  112  feet  above  the 
town;  bored  by*W.  L.  Morrison  in  1899;  water  rises  to  -40  feet,  an  un- 
limited supply  being  obtained  by  the  use  of  pumps;  tastes  of  alum. 
Record:  Red  clay,  0-8  feet;  coarse  yellow  sand,  8-30  feet;  hard  black 
rock,  30-35  feet;  coarse  yellow  sand,  35-70  feet;  shell  rock,  70-72  feec; 
marl,  72-250  feet;  hard  rock  and  sand,  250-312  feet.  Water  supply  prob- 
ably from  Nanafalia  sands  or  lower  Tuscahoma. 

Several  other  wells  were  bored,  in  1899  and  1900  by  Morri- 
s'on,  in  and  around  Elba.  All  have  about  the  same  record; 
some  are  or  were  flowing ;  in  others  the  water  stands  at  the  level 
of  the  ground,  or  slightly  below.  Every  new  well  lessens  the 
flow  of  the  others.  Among  these  wells  are  those  of  the  county 
jail;  N.  W.  Wright;  William  Rushing;  John  Rushing;  (in  this 
well  a  log  was  encountered  at  a  depth  of  40  feet)  ;  Judge  S.  M. 
Rushing  (this  well  yields  3  gallons'  per  minute)  ;  W.  M.  Rush- 
ing; D.  C.  Collins;  King  &  Simmons;  Allen  King;  public 
school ;  W.  B.  Perdue ;  Mr.  Lightner ;  Raynor  livery  stable ; 
Mrs.  S.  E.  Beard;  John  Farriss;  T.  J.  Ham;  William  Ham; 
J.  N.  Ham ;  J.  T.  Law ;  Dr.  Bradley ;  Dr.  Boyd  ;  Dr.  Blue ;  Mrs. 
Ada  Rushing ;  county  poor  house ;  Fayette  Prescott ;  Aaron 
Head ;  W.  M.  Tucker ;  G.  W.  Gunter. 

BROCKTON. 

Well  1  mile  south  of  Brockton,  at  Henderson  &  Boyd's  saw  mill;  bored 
by  Mr.  Van  Vleet..  water  stands  at  -150  feet;  supply  probably  from  the 
Nanafalia  sands. 

17 


258  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ENTERPRISE. 

Town  well,  bored  by  Frank  Sutter  in  1903;  depth,  398  feet;  casing,  6-inch; 
first  water,  at  132  feet,  stood  at  -132  feet;  second  water,  at  370  feet,  stood 
at  -127  feet;  yield,  400  gallons  per  minute  with  air  lift;  level  lowered  12 
feet.  Record:  Clay,  0-60  feet;  soft  lime  rock,  60-68  feet;  shell  rock,  68-98 
feet;  shell  rock  98-104  feet;  black  mud,  104-130  feet;  flint  rock,  130-132  feet; 
sand,  132-140  feet;  marl,  140-230  feet;  mud,  230-265  feet;  rock,  265-266  feet; 
marl,  266-370  feet;  sand  and  water,  370-398  feet.  The  following  analysis 
of  the  water  has  been  made  by  the  Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company,  Sa- 
vannah, Ga.* 

Analysis  of  water  from  town  well  Enterprise. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    17.21 

Magnesium    (Mg)    .74 

Calcium    (Ca)    35.17 

Chlorine   (Cl) 15.02 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4) 40.15 

Carbonic  acid  (CO3)    39.12 

Iron  and   alumina   (Pe2O3),   A12O3) 8.90 

Silica   (SiO2)    19.50 

Volatile    matter     .                                     33.87 


205.25 


COVINGTON  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  older  Tertiary  formations  in  Covington  county  range 
from  the  Nanafalia  member  of  the  Lignitic  up  to  the  St.  Steph- 
ens limestone.  Unconformably  overlying  the  St.  Stephens, 
Claiborne,  and  Buhrstone  are  the  s'ands  and  stratified  clays  of 
the  Grand  Gulf,  capped  in  turn  by  the  red  loam  and  pebbles 
of  the  Lafayette  where  denudation  has  not  removed  them. 
Like  all  the  counties  of  this  latitude,  Covington  is  well  watered, 
and  artesian  wells  are  few  in  number  and  of  a  recent  date. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

While  the  character  of  the  shallow  waters  is  in  great  measure 
determined  by  the  loose  materials  of  the  Grand  Gulf  and  La- 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  in  hypothetical 
combinations;  recomputed  in  ionic  form,  and  parts  per  million  at 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


P£  iV-*-^ 
V      OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 

CAL 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  259 

fayette,  yet  in  the  lower  parts  of  Covington  and  adjoining  coun- 
ties, and  in  still  greater  measure  in  Florida,  these  waters'  are 
modified  by  the  underlying  St.  Stephens  limestone,  and  big 
limestone  springs  running  off  in  veritable  creeks  are  not  un- 
common. Akin  to  these  are  the  lime  sinks,  ponds,  and  lakes  of 
this  section.  Near  the  western  limit  of  Covington  County,  in 
Section  6,  Township  2,  Range  14,  is'  Blue  Pond,  with  nearly 
perpendicular  sides  as  if  it  had  recently  fallen  in.  The  name 
characterizes  the  water,  which  is  of  beautiful  blue  color.  The 
pond  is  hardly  more  than  100  yards  in  diameter  and  the  water 
is  about  10  feet  below  the  general  surface  of  the  ground. 
PI.  XVII,  A,  shows  this  curious  pond.  At  Florala  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  county  close  to  the  Florida  line  is  McDade's 
pond  shown  in  Plate  XXIII.  This  is'  also  of  limesink  origin 
but  on  larger  scale  and  of  greater  antiquity,  and  illustrates  a 
type  of  pond  or  lake  exceedingly  characteristic  of  many  parts 
of  Florida,  but,  so  far  as  known,  unique  in  Alabama. 

AETESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  deepest  of  the  artesian  wells  in  Covington  County  is  that 
bored  for  the  cotton-oil  mill  at  Andalusia,  which  probably  goes 
down  into  the  Nanafalia  sands  or  perhaps  into  the  Naheola. 
All  of  the  wells  are  located  geologically  on  the  upper  Claiborne 
strata,  very  near  the  contact  with  the  Buhrstone.  They  are  all 
likewise  on  or  near  the  lines  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville 
and  Central  of  Georgia  railroads. 

ANDALUSIA  AND  VICINITY. 

Town  well,  40  yards  from  Central  of  Georgia  Railway  station,  in  the 
N.  W.  quarter,  N.  W.  quarter,  Section  20,  Township  4,  Range  16;  bored 
by  Frank  Sutter  in  1904;  casing,  8-inch  and  6-inch;  well  was  not  tested 
up  to  the  time  this  record  was  obtained;  probably  reaches  the  Tusca- 
homa  or  Nanafalia  sands. 


260  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Record,  of  town  well,  Andalusia. 


Feet. 

Sand  and  clay   0  —  113 

Sand  rock   113  —  114 

Sand    114  —  122 

Sand  rock 122  —  123 

Black    mud    .' 123  —  130 

Sand  rock   130  —  133 

Shale     133  —  141 

Sand  rock 141  —  142 

Clay 142  —  168 

Sand  (at  186  feet  3  inches  of  rock) 168  —  186 

Clay     186  —  190 

Sand 190  —  207 

Shaly  clay  and  sand   207  —  273 

Rock     ., 273  —  274 

Gritty   mud    274  —  313 

Gritty  mud,  with  frequent  layers  of  rock 313  —  380 

Blue  marl   ....  .. .380  —  480 


Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company's  well,  Audalusia,  one-fourth  mile  east 
of  station  in  the  N.  W.  quarter,  N.  W.  quarter,  Section  20,  Township  4, 
Range  16;  bored  by  Frank  Sutter  in  1902;  depth,  1130  feet;  water  stands 
a*.  -110  feet;  casing  430  feet,  4^-inch;  air  lift  gives  45  gallons  per  minute. 
the  following  analysis  is  by  the  chemist  of  the  Southern  Cotton  Oil 
Company:* 


Analysis  of  water  from  Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company's  well, 
Andalusia. 


Parts  per   million. 

Sodium    (Na) 63.84 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.04 

Calcium    (Ca) 1.23 

Chlorine    (Cl)     12.00 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO* 7.52 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    72.65 

Iron  (Fe)   47 

Silica    (SiO2) 20.52 

179.27 


RIVER  FALLS  AND  SANFORD. 

The  three  following  wells  probably  get  their  water  from  tHr; 
lower  strata  of  the  Buhrstone  or  from  the  immediately  underly- 


*Bxpressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations; recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  201 

ing  Hatchetigbee  sands,  which  are  frequently  dark  colored  from 
lignitic  matter. 

Horse  Shoe  Lumber  Company's  well,  River  Falls;  bored  by  W.  M.  Mor- 
rison in  1901;  depth,  230  feet;  yield,  3  1-4  gallons  per  minute.  Record: 
Clay,  8  feet;  coarse  sand,  12  feet;  yellow  marl,  30  feet;  alternating  blue 
marl  and  thin  layers  of  rock  to  2CO  feet;  buhrstone,  8  inches;  water- 
bearing sands  and  lignite,  30  feet. 

Henderson  Lumber  Company's  well,  Sanford;  bored  by  W.  M.  Morri- 
son in  19G1;  depth,  386  feet;  casing,  3-inch;  water  stands  at  -70  feet.  Rec- 
ord: Clay,  0-12  feet;  white  sand,  12-30  feet;  hard  red  and  yellow  clay, 
30-80  feet;  alternating  layers  of  sand,  blue  marl  and  rock,  80-175  feet; 
blue  marl,  175-275  feet;  water-bearing  sand  and  lignite,  275-295  feet;  porous 
limestone,  2S5-350  feet;  water  bearing  sand  and  rock,  350-386  feet. 

W.  W.  Vorn's  well,  Sanford;  bored  by  W.  Ivi.  Morrison  in  1901;  casing 
•iVz  inch;  water  stands  at  -70  feet.  Record:  Hard  red  and  yellow  clay, 
0-75  feet;  yellow  sand  and  soft  rock,  75-90  feet;  blue  marl,  90-200  feet;  shell 
rock,  200-202  feet;  water-bearing  sand,  202-235  feet. 


C REN SHAW  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  two  northernmost  townships  in  Crenshaw  County  are 
underlain  by  the  Cretaceous  formations,  the  rest  of  it  by  the 
Tertiary  formations  up  to  the  top  of  the  Lignitic.  In  the  north- 
ern part  of  township  10,  adjoining  Montgomery  County,  the 
Selma  chalk  is'  the  surface  formation,  and  in  this  vicinity  wells 
would  have  to  go  through  the  whole  thickness  of  the  chalk  to 
reach  the  Eutaw  sands.  A  prominent  ridge,  the  entension  of 
the  Chunnennugga  Ridge  of  Bullock  County  (see  p.  226), 
marks  the  line  between  the  chalk  and  the  Ripley  in  the  lower 
part  of  township  10. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

In  the  area  underlain  by  the  Ripley,  embracing  most  of  town- 
ship 9,  artesian  prospects  are  favorable,  but.  no  records  of  wells 
have  been  obtained.  In  the  adjoining  county,  Pike,  in  the  same 
formation  are  several  wells  about  Orion.  In  the  Clayton  beds, 
which  form  the  bas'e  of  the  Tertiary,  wells  usually  have  to  go 
very  deep  and  are  frequently  unsuccessful.  The  only  records 
obtained  are  from  townships  6  and  7,  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
county.  It  is  probable  that  the  wells  about  Brantley  and  Theba 


262  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

get  water  from  the  Nanafalia  sands- and  that  at  Searight,  from 
a  higher  horizon,  possibly  the  Tuscahoma,  Flowing  wells  are 
rare  among  those  as  yet  bored. 

THEBA. 

Bently  Lumbers  Company's  wells:  No.  1,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section 
25,  Township  7,  Range  17;  bored  by  mill  hands  in  1904;  depth,  225  feet; 
casing,  20  feet,  6-inch;  first  water  at  177  feet;  second  water,  at  225  feet, 
rose  to  14  feet  above  the  surface;  presnt  flow,  17  gallons  pr  minute;  tem- 
perature, 68p.  Record:  Sand  and  clay,  0-18  feet;  blue  marl,  18-80  feet; 
sand  rock,  80-81  feet;  black  marl,  81-90  feet;  alternating  layers  of  sand 
and  rock,  6  inches  thick,  90-200  feet;  clay,  200-203  feet;  rock,  203-204  feet; 
sand  and  water,  204-225  feet.  No.  2,  75  yards  from  No.  1;  bored  by  mill 
hands  in  1903;  depth,  177  feet;  casing,  20  feet,  4-inch;  flow,  1  gallon  per 
minute;  temperature,  68°.  Record  same  as  No.  1. 

BRANTLEY  AND  VICINITY. 

Town  well.  Brantley,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  16,  Township  7, 
Range  18;  bored  by  C.  C.  Brinson  in  1899;  depth,  366  feet;  casing,  20 
feet,  4-inch;  water  stands  at  -22  feet;  pump  gives  20  gallons  per  minute 
for  four  hours.  The  character  of  the  water  from  this  well  is  shown 
by  the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  lown  well,  Brantley. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    1.3 

Sodium    (Na) 4.1 

Magnesium    (Mg)     5.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    45.6 

Iron  and  alumina   (Fe2O3,   A12O3)    9.9 

Chlorine   (Cl)    1.7 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    10.1 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3)    157.5 

Silica  (SiCV>   35.5 

271.3 


L.  C.  Cooper's  well.  Brantley,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  16,  Town- 
ship 7,  Range  18;  bored  by  George  Thompson  in  1899;  depth,  170  feet;  water 
stands  av.  -25  feet. 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company's  well,  Brantley,  in  the  i<,.  W.  quarter 
Section  16,  Township  7,  Range  18;  bored  by  S.  W.  tngram  in  19oJ;  depth, 
155  feet;  water  stands  at  -18  feet. 

J.  T.  Cooper's  well,  at  mill  one-fourth  mile  east  of  Brantley,  in  the 
N.  E.  quarter  Section  16,  Township  7,  Range  18;  bored  by  George  Thomp- 
son in  1899;  depth,  260  feet;  casing,  20  feet,  4-inch;  water  stands  at  -22 
feet;  pump  gives  50  gallons  per  minute. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  2G3 

SEAWR1GHT. 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company's  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  19, 
Township  6,  Range  17;  bored  by  S.  W.  Ingram;  depth,  276  feet;  casing, 
20  feet,  4-inch;  first  water  small  stream;  second  water,  at  276  feet,  stands 
at  -12  leet;  force  pump  gives  27  gallons  per  minute. 


BUTLER  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

With  the  exception  of  a  small  area  in  the  northeast  corner, 
Butler  County  is  underlain  by  Tertiary  strata,  embracing  all 
the  lower  divisions  up  to  the  Buhrstone.  In  the  territory  of 
the  Ripley  and  Clayton  calcareous  beds  are  prevalent  and  the 
topography  in  general  is  much  broken  because  of  the  numerous 
indurated  ledges  of  calcareous  material  among  the  sandier  beds. 
To  the  south  about  Greenville  and  for  several  miles  on  either 
side,  is  a  great  extent  of  red  sands'  or  loams,  which  resemble 
those  of  the  Lafayette  but  probably  consist  of  residual  matter 
from  the  Tertiary  beds. 

These  Tertiary  formations  range  from  the  Midway  up  to  the 
Claiborne,  and  in  their  outcrops  present  the  usual  monotonous 
character.  Overlying  all,  where  not  removed  by  denudation, 
are  the  red  loam  and  pebble  beds  of  the  Lafayette.  In.  many- 
localities  these  surface  beds  are  extremely  s'andy,  especially  on 
the  watersheds.  An  example  of  this  condition  may  be  noted 
along  the  Montgomery  road  between  Greenville  and  Sandy 
Ridge. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 
ROPER'S  WELL. 

One  of  the  most  widely  known  mineral  waters  of  Alabama, 
sold  under  the  name  of  "Wilkinson's  Matchless  Mineral  Wa- 
ter," is  obtained  from  Roper's  well,  3  miles  east  of  Greenville, 
and  a  well  subsequently  sunk  near  it.  The  latter  well  is  about 
40  feet  deep  and  15  feet  in  diameter.  The  section  shown  in 
the  sides  of  the  well  consists  of  9  1-2  feet  of  sandy  clay, 
6  3-4  feet  of  sand  and  mottled  clay,  and  below  this  the  "black 
earth,"  which  continues  to  the  bottom  of  the  well.  This  black 


264  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

earth  is  the  source  of  the  "mineral."  It  is  a  dark  colored  sandy- 
clay  containing  organic  matter  and  iron  pyrites,  with  considera- 
ble greens'and  in  small  grains  irregularly  disseminated  through 
it.  The  reaction  of  the  oxidation  products  of  the  pyrites  on  the 
clay  and  its  contained  vegetable  matter  yields  the  sulphuric 
acid,  the  alum,  and  the  other  sulphates  which  characterize  tha 
water,  as  shown  by  the  analysis. 

The  water  fresh  from  the  well  is  colorless,  the  iron  being 
in  the  ferrous  condition,  but  on  standing  it  gradually 
becomes  yellowish  red  from  further  oxidation  of  the  iron. 

As1  the  source  of  the  mineral  matter  is  superficial  and  local, 
the  strength  of  the  water  varies  with  the  rainfall,  being  much 
less  during  the  rainy  season.  Analyses  may  therefore  differ 
very  widely  in  regard  to  the  amount  of  mineral  matter  to  the 
gallon.  An  analysis  made  by  Dr.  Metz,  of  New  Orleans,  shows 
1244.45  grains;  a  sample  of  the  bottled  water  furnished  by  the 
proprietor  of  the  well,  and  said  to  have  been  collected  six 
years  ago,  contains  1333.8  grains;  the  water  in  a  i6-quart  bot- 
tle on  sale  June  i,  1905,  contains  458.45  grains;  while  the  sam- 
ple direct  from  the  well  collected  by  Mr.  Hodges  for  analysis 
after  several  months  of  rainy  weather,  contains  213.9  grains. 
In  putting  up  the  water  for  the  market  it  is  the  endeavor  of 
the  proprietor  to  make  it  as  nearly  as  possible  of  uniform 
strength.  When  too  concentrated  it  is  diluted  with  fres'h  water : 
when  too  dilute  leachings  from  hoppers  of  the  pyritous  earth 
are  added. 

Mr.  Hodges''s  analysis  is  given  below ;  also,  for  the  sake  of 
comparison,  an  analysis  made  by  J.  B.  Little  and.  the  writer 
about  twenty  years  ago,  from  a  sample  collected  by  Mr.  Little, 
and  one  made  by  Dr.  Metz,  of  New  Orleans.  These  analyses 
sufficiently  illustrate  the  variations  in  the  concentration,  as 
well  as  in  the  relative  proportions  of  the  different  ingredients, 
which  takes  place  in  the  course  of  time  and  by  reason  of  sea- 
sonal changes. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  265 

Analyses   of   "Matchless   Mineral   Water"   from   Roper's   well,    near 

Greenville. 


(Farts  per  million.) 

I  II  III 

Potassium    (K) 7.6       15.8  33.0 

Sodium    (Na)    57.6        51.9  76.9 

Magnesium    (Mg)     78.0  235.1  278.0 

Calcium   (Ca)    322.4  300.8  373.4 

Iron   (Fe,   ferrous)    90.5  10S5.0  1358.8 

Iron   (Fe,   ferric)    204.1  1038.4  4013.7 

Aluminum     (Al)     132.8        33.2  69.8 

Chlorine    (Cl) 78.3       42.3  53.2 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    2493.3  6434.815130.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (H,SO4).  free) 19.9       30.7 

Silica    (SiO2)    ." .' 131.2       86.4  103. 7 


3615.7    9354.4  21490.! 


I  Analysis  by  Robert  S.  Hodges,  1905. 

II  Analysis  by  J.  B.  Little  and  Dr.  E.  A.  Smith,  about  1885.* 

III  Analysis  by  Dr.  Metz,  of  New  Orleans,  1893.* 


*0riginally  expressed  by  analysts  in  grains  per  gallon  and  in  form 
of  radicals;  recomputed  in  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  by  R. 
S.  Hodges. 

BUTLER    SPRINGS. 

Near  the  western  border  of  the  county,  just  south  of  Redicks 
Creek  are  the  Butler  Springs',  formerly  much  visited,  but  now 
nearly  abandoned,  though  a  few  families  come  every  year  with 
camping  outfits  and  drink  the  water.  Its  character  is  shown 
by  the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Butler  Springs. 


Potassium    (K) 
Sodium    (Na) 
Magnesium    (Mg) 
Calcium  (Ca) 

Iron    and    alumina    (Fe2O3. 
Chlorine   (Cl) 
Sulphuric   acid    (SO4) 
Carbonic    acid    (HCO3) 
Silica   (SiO2)    


76.5 


266  DP/TAILS  :    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

All  the  artesian  wells  in  Butler  are  to  be  found  along  the 
line  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  railroad,  and  most  of  them 
have  been  bored  to  supply  the  needs  of  saw  mills.  In  some 
cases'  where  the  timber  supply  has  been  exhausted  the  mills 
have  been  moved  and  the  wells  have  fallen  into  decay. 

GREENVILLE. 

City  waterworks  wells  at  the  foot  of  the  hiil  east  of  town,  60  feet  or 
more  below  the  level  of  the  railroad  track,  which  is  444  feet;  bored  in 
1892  by  the  American  Pipe  Manufacturing  Company;  depth,  400  feet; 
water  supply  obtained  between  186  and  217  feet;  below  217  feet  the  strata 
were  blue  to  black  clays,  alternating  with  harder  strata,  probably  of 
the  Ripley  formation;  mouth  of  the  well  is  on  the  Naheola  sands;  water 
stands  at  -50  feet;  pump  delivering  90  gallons  per  minute  does  not  lower 
the  stand  more  than  one  foot.  According  to  the  analysis  of  Mr.  Barnum, 
chemist  to  the  company,  the  solid  matter  in  solution  in  this  water,  con- 
sist in  the  main  of  the  carbonate  and  sulphate  of  magnesium  and  chlo- 
ride of  sodium. 

Ice-factory  well,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  24,  Town- 
ship 10,  Range  14;  depth,  107  feet;  casing,  84  feet,  8-inch;  water  stands  at 
-13  feet;  force  pump  gives  75  gallons  per  minute;  boring  probably  does  not 
go  through  the  Naheola. 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Company's  well,  in  the  S  E.  quarter  S.  W.  quar- 
ter Section  14,  Township  10,  Range  14;  bored  by  Morgan,  of  Birmingham, 
in  1902;  depth,  105  feet;  casing,  8-inch  to  bottom;  water  stands  at  -53  feet; 
estimated  yield  with  steam  pump,  150  gallons  per  minute;  ends  prob- 
ably in  the  Naheola. 

FOREST. 

W.  M.  Flowers's  wells:  No.  1,  at  saw  mill,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section 
8,  Township  9,  Range  14;  bored  by  M.  S.  Gilmer,  in  1892;  depth,  195  feet; 
casing,  5-inch;  water  stands  at  -20  feet;  first  water  at  195  feet;  pump  yields 
50  gallons  per  minute.  No.  2,  350  yards  south  of  No.  1;  bored  by  M.  S. 
Gilmer  in  1895;  depth,  390  feet;  water  stands  at  -20  feet;  estimated  yield 
with  pump,  50  gallons  per  minute.  These  wells  are  located  on  the  Nana- 
falia  outcrop  and  get  water  probably  from  the  Naheola  sands. 

BOLLING. 

W.  J.  Flowers  Lumber  Company's  wells;  bored  fifteen  years  ago  and 
in  use  about  ten  years;  now  abandoned  on  account  of  removal  of  the 
mill;  altitude,  308  feet;  depth  of  No  1,  1010  feet;  of  No.  2,  230  feet;  water 
stands  at  -10  feet;  yield,  about  75  gallons  per  minute  each,  to  pump.  The 
water  was  used  for  steam  and  domestic  purposes,  but  was  not  well 
adapted  to  the  former,  as  it  produced  a  scale  in  the  boilers.  As  no  in- 
crease in  the  volume  of  water  was  noticed  below  the  depth  of  230  feet, 
the  second  well  stopped  there,  going  down  probably  into  the  Naheola 
sands,  while  the  deeper  well  may  have  gone  to  the  base  of  the  Tertiary 
or  into  the  Ripley. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  267 

CHAPMAN. 

The  following  wells  are  located  near  the  contact  of  the  Tus- 
cahoma  and  Nanafalia,  and  obtain  water  in  all  probability 
from  the  sands  of  the  latter. 

W.  T.  Smith  Lumber  Company's  well,  bored  in  1904  by  M.  Canfield; 
depth,  186  feet;  flow.  150  gallons  per  minute. 

Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  well,  bored  in  1904  by  M.  Canfield; 
depth,  175  feet;  flow,  150  gallons  per  minute. 

DUNHAM. 

Dunham  Lumber  Company's  well,  depth,  382  feet;  probably  obtaining 
water  in  the  Nanafalia  sands  or  the  immediately  underlying  Naheola; 
elevation,  221  feet;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  surface;  original  flow, 
18  gallons  per  minute;  flow  in  1904,  about  5  gallons  per  minute;  temper- 
ture,  73°.  The  record  given  by  Mr.  B.  B.  McKenzie  is  as  follows:  Sand 
and  clay,  13  feet;  marl,  160  feet;  rock,  2  feet,  below  which  a  weak  stream 
was  struck,  rising  above  the  mouth  of  the  well,  but  as  the  quantity 
was  insufficient  the  boring  was  continued;  at  380  feet  a  stratum  of  hard 
rock  was  encountered,  2  feet  thick,  and  below  it  a  fine  stream  of  water, 
rising,  as  stated,  3  feet  above  the  surface.  The  formation  at  the  surface 
is  Woods  Bluff,  and  the  water  supply  is  from  the  Nanafalia. 


CONECUH  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  older  Tertiary  formations  underlying  Conecuh  County 
range  from  the  Buhrstone  up  to  the  St.  Stephens  limestone, 
with  small  tracts  of  still  older  beds  in  the  extreme  north.  There 
is  thus  a  considerable  degree  of  diversity  in  the  topography. 
Overlying  the  Tertiary  beds  mentioned,  in  the  southern  third 
of  the  county,  is  a  mantle  of  the  Grand  Gulf  sands  and  strat- 
ified clays,  and  over  everything  the  red  loam  and  pebbles  of  the 
Lafayette.  These  two  later  formations  provide  as  usual,  an 
abundance  of  pure  freestone  water  from  shallow  wells  and 
springs.  On  the  high  interstream  plateaus,  where  the  Lafay- 
ette mantle  is  comparatively  undisturbed,  the  wells  are  of  mod- 
erate depth,  often  less  than  50  feet,  and  along  hillsides  between 
these  plateaus  and  the  stream  valleys  springs  break  out  every- 
where above  the  first  comparatively  impervious  layer  beneath 
the  mantle  of  sand  and  pebbles. 


268  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

While  very  few  deep  wells  have  been  reported  from  this  coun- 
ty, there  is  no  reason  why  borings  should  not  be  successful,  since 
the  Claiborne  beds  and  parts  of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  are 
well  known  to  be  good  artesian  reservoirs.  Only  one  well  re- 
cord has  been  obtained. 

EVERGREEN. 

Town  well,  in  the  W.  half  N.  E.  quarter  Section  3,  Township  5,  Range 
11;  bored  by  Porter  and  McDonald  in  1903;  depth,  168  feet;  casing,  G-inch. 
to  bottom;  water  stands  at  -30  feet;  estimated  yield  by  pumping,  115 
gallons,  per  minute;  water  is  pumped  into  standpipe,  from  which  it  is 
distributed  through  the  town.  Boring  begins  in  strata  of  the  St.  Steph- 
ens, overlain  by  Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette;  water  probably  obtained  from 
the  Claiborne  sands  below  the  limestone. 


ESCAMBIA  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  surface  throughout  Escambia  County  is  occupied  chief- 
ly by  two  formations,  the  Lafayette  and  Grand  Gulf,  whose 
sands,  loams,  clays,  and  pebble  beds'  have  at  one  time  covered 
all  the  underlying  Tertiary  rocks.  The  Lafayette,  here  as 
elsewhere,  is  a  mantle  averaging  20  to  25  feet  in  thickness,  and 
the  Grand  Gulf  sands  and  stratified  clays  are  also  of  the  nature 
of  a  covering  formation  beneath  the  Lafayette.  The  underlying 
Tertiary  formations  next  below  the  Grand  Gulf  are  the  St. 
Stephens  or  white  limestone  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
and  the  sands'  and  clays  of  the  lower  Miocene  in  the  southern 
part. 

The  Lafayette  and  Grand  Gulf  have  been  so  much  eroded 
that  they  are  not  now  everywhere  present,  though  generally  so 
on  the  higher  and  more  level  tracts ;  along  the  slopes  and  in 
the  lowlands  they  are  frequently  absent  and  the  Tertiary  sands 
and  limestones  are  exposed  at  the  surface. 

The  conditions  are  favorable  for  shallow  waters  and  a  good 
supply  may  be  had  almost  anywhere  in  the  county  from  wells 
60  feet  or  less  in  depth ;  springs  also  are  not  rare. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  TERTIARY  269 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Deep  borings  for  artesian  water  have  as  yet  been  confined  to 
the*  vicinity  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  mainly 
at  Brewton,  Harrington,  Flomaton,  and  Atmore,  but  flowing 
wells  should  be  obtained  by  moderately  deep  borings  elsewhere 
in  the  country  where  the  altitude  is  not  too  great. 

BREWTON    AND   VICINITY. 

Most  of  the  artesian  wells  in  the  county  are  at  Brewton  and 
in  its'  immediate  vicinity.  Mr.  W.  J.  Malone.  who  has  drilled 
very  many  of  these  wells',  has  furnished  the  following  general 
record  of  the  conditions  there : 

The  shallowest  of  the  flowing  wells  are  only  40  feet  deep; 
the  deepest  nearly  400  feet.  The  record  in  general  is  as  fol- 
lows:  surface,  sand,  gravel,  etc.,  20  feet;  bluish  clay,  20  feet; 
just  below  this  in  the  sands  is'  the  first  water.  The  flow  from 
the  shallow  wells  is  large  at  first,  but  falls  off  rapidly ;  the 
water  is  strongly  chalybeate. 

The  sands  below  the  blue  marl  or  clay  above  noted  are  15 
to  20  feet  thick,  and  are  followed  by  6  feet  of  white  sticky 
mud ;  then  the  second  water  at  a  depth  of  65  feet,  more  or  less. 
The  flow  of  this  is  stronger  than  that  of  the  first,  but  the  water 
is  likewise  chalybeate. 

The  white  sticky  mud  continues  6  feet  more,  making  12  feet 
in  all ;  then  sand  for  5  feet,  and  a  third  flow  of  water  at  a  depth 
of  about  75  feet.  This  water  is  also  chalybeate  and  the  flow  is 
a  little  better  than  the  second. 

Below  this  are  about  TOO  feet  of  loose  white  nonpacking 
sand,  then  an  indurated  bed  of  yellowish  limestone  25  to  35 
feet  thick,  below  which,  at  a  depth  of  about  200  feet,  is  another 
good  flow  of  water.  This  is1  described  as  magnesian  (lime) 
water,  and  is  quite  different  from  the  water  obtained  above  it. 

Below  the  yellowish  limestone  are  33  feet  of  sand,  33  feet 
of  blue  mud  like  the  first  mentioned,  2  feet  of  very  hard  dark- 
blue  slaty  rock*,  60  feet  of  blue  clay  in  egg-shaped  lumps,  then 
lirne  rock  down  as  far  as  the  borings  have  penetrated.  In  this 
rock  the  drill  will  sometimes  drop  suddenly  2  or  3  feet,  as  if 
cavities  existed  in  the  rock.  When  the  blue  mud  is'  encounter- 
ed, gas  nearly  always  comes  up.  In  the  lime  rock  water  is 
obtained  in  places  where  the  rock  is  of  open  texture,  or  porous. 


270  DKTAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

As  before  stated,  borings  have  gone  into  this  limestone  to  a 
depth  of  about  400  feet  from  the  surface,  but  the  rock  has  not 
been  passed  through.  The  water  from  this  horizon  is'  decided- 
ly limy,  or  "niagnesian." 

Mr.  Malone  states  that  the  volume  of  water  from  the  shal- 
low wells  varies  with  the  height  of  the  water  in  Murder  Creek, 
on  the  terrace  of  which  the  town  is  located,  at  about  85  feei 
above  tide.  The  shallow  wells  probably  do  not  go  below  the 
Grand  Gulf  beds. 

Among  list  of  the  shallow  wells  bored  by  Mr.  Malone  to 
depths  of  65  to  80  feet  are  those  of  E.  Downing  (3  wells), 
J.  A.  McGowan  (2  wells'),  Jet  McGowan,  Mrs.  Spear,  P.  B. 
Sowell  (2  wells),  A.  McGowan  (2  wells),  M.  McCall,  W.  A. 
Harrold,  (2  wells),  Brewton  Gun  Club,  Phifer's  bakery,  Pe- 
ters Lumber  Company  (3  wells),  and  M.  S.  Lovelace  (2  wells). 
These  flow  from  2  to  5  gallons  per  minute,  and  are  generally 
cased  for  65  feet  with  i  i -4-inch  pipe.  The  record  is  practi- 
cally the  same  for  all,  as  follows:  Sands  and  soil,  0-35  feet; 
blue  marl,  35-45  feet;  white  sand,  45-65  feet;  clay  and  marl, 
65  feet  to  bottom. 

Besides  thes'e  there  are  about  80  other  wells  of  the  same  kind 
in  and  about  Brewton  with  similar  records.  Among  them  are 
the  Parker  well,  68  feet  deep ;  the  canning  factory  well,  75  feet 
deep,  with  a  good  flow  and  water  less  strongly  chalybeate 
than  the  others  from  this  depth ;  Allsup's  well,  75  feet  deep ; 
2  wells  at  the  ice  factory,  42  and  44  feet  deep,  respectively, 
with  strongly  chalybeate  water.  The  old  McMillan  well,  bored 
many  years  ago,  has  ceased  to  flow.  The  wrater  was  strongly 
chalybeate. 

The  following  wells  get  water  from  about  175  feet  depth : 
Dr.  W.  H.  Malone's,  200  feet  deep,  but  water  comes  from  the 
175-foot  level,  as  the  well  is  on  higher  ground;  Arends  Hotel, 
130  feet  deep;  Cedar  Creek  Mill,  178  feet;  Dr.  Tarrant's,  175 
feet.  These  go  into  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  and  all  the 
deeper  wells  are  from  the  same  formation.  The  well  at  the 
power  house  has  a  2-inch  pipe  bringing  the  water  from  the 
bottom,  393  feet,  and  an  outside  4-inch  pipe  bringing  it  from 
the  175-foot  level. 

The  three  following  records  are  of  wells  recently  bored  in 
Brewton. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  271 

Wiley  Downingr's  well,  one-half  mile  from  ralroad  station;  bored  by 
David  Carpenter  in  1904;  depth,  509  feet;  casing,  3-inch  and  2-inch;  stood 
at  -21  feet;  second  water,  at  315  feet,  overflowed;  third  water,  at  360 
feet;  rises  31  feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  15  gallons  per  mniute  at  2  feet 
above  the  surface;  water  is  piped  throughout  the  house  and  flows  a 
strong  stream  on  second  floor. 

Record  of  Wiley  Downing's  well,  Brewton. 


Feet. 

Sand    0  —    12 

Clay     12  —    72 

Sand    72  —  180 

White  lime  rock   180  —  216 

Black  soft  mud  (between  290  and  300  feet  shell 

embedded  in  mud) 216  —  300 

Lime   rock    300  —  302 

Soft   white   marl    302  —  315 

Rock    315  —  316 

White  soft  marl   316  —  328 

Alternating   layers   of  soft   marl  10  or  12   feet 

thick  and  hard  rock  3  to  6  inches  thick  328  —  509 


E.  Downing's  well,  one-half  mile  northeast  of  station;  bored  by  David 
Carpenter  in  1904;  depth,  360  feet;  casing,  3-inch  and  2-inch;  water  rises  34 
feet  above  the  surface;  flow,  5  gallons  per  minute.  Record  same  as 
preceding. 

Cedar  Creek  Mill  Company's  well,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  28, 
Township  2.  Range  10;  bored  by  Henry  Hammons  in  1904;  depth,  178  feet; 
casing,  iy2  inch;  first  water  at  50  feet,  flowing;  second  water,  at  155  feet, 
flowing  one  gallon  per  minute;  third  water,  at  177  feet,  flowing  2  gallons 
per  minute.  Record:  Sand  and  gravel,  0-25  leet;  red  clay,  25-30  feet; 
gravel,  30-33  feet;  joint  clay.  33-45  feet;  white  marl,  45-55  feet;  quicksand, 
55-141  feet;  sand  and  lime  rock,  141-178  feet. 

HERRINOTON    AND    VICINITY. 

J.  A.  Jernigan's  well,  Herrington,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter 
Section  14,  Township  1,  Range  9;  bored  in  1895  by  negroes;  depth,  117  feet; 
casing,  1%  inch  to  bottom  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute. 

Well  at  Keego,  1  mile  northeast  of  Herrington,  near  Louisville  and 
Nashville  track;  bored  by  negroes  in  1902;  depth,  135  feet;  casing,  1  1-4 
inch,  to  bottom;  original  flow,  10  gallons  per  minute;  present  flow,  1  gal- 
lon per  minute;  temperature,  69°. 


POLLARD. 

The  town  of  Pollard  is  on  the  terrace  of  Conecuh  River,  25 
or  30  feet  above  the  bottom  lands  and  perhaps  50  feet  above 
low-water  level.  Many  of  the  wells  bored  here  reach  depths 
of  80  to  TOO  feet,  usually  less  than  90,  and  are  probably  alto- 
gether in  Grand  Gulf  strata.  They  all  yield  flowing  water 


272  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

and  in  most  cases  good  streams,  the  best  of  them  filling  a  I  1-2 
inch  pipe.  Most  of  the  borings1  have  been  made  by  Charlie 
Sowell,  a  negro,  who  gives  the  following  general  record :  Red 
clay,  0-20  feet ;  white  sand,  20-30  feet ;  white  plastic  clay,  30-40 
feet;  blue  sand,  40-55  feet;  blue  sticky  marl,  55-65  feet;  at 
about  70-75  feet  is  usually  a  streak  of  black  mud,  in  which  the 
water  is  commonly  found;  this  black  mud  is  just  above  a  blue 
clay. 

Well  at  Martin  Lindsey  Hotel,  depth,  97  feet;  flow,  G  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  7  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  C9°. 

W.  A.  Findley's  well;  bored  about  1890;  depth,  68  feet,  (?);  casing,  2-inch; 
water  rises  to  2  feet  above  the  surface;  estimated  flow,  25  gallons  per 
minute;  temperature,  69°. 

Lindsey  Lumber  Company's  well;  bored  by  Charlie  Sowell;  depth,  64 
feet;  flow,  7  gallons  per  minute,  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  tue  surface. 

W.  T.  Mayo's  well,  75  yards  south  of  station;  depth,  97  feet;  casing, 
iy2  inch;  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  sur- 
face; temperature,  69°. 

C.  L.  Wiggin's  well;  bored  in  1800;  depth,  85  feet;  flow,  3  gallons  per 
minute;  water  rises  to  6  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69°;  supply 
falls  off  in  dry  weather. 

Mat  Manning's  well;  depth,  90  feet  (?);  flow,  3  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  6  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69°. 

B.  F.  Pringle's  well;  bored  by  Charlie  Sowell;  depth,  104  feet;  estimated 
flow,  10  galolns  per  minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  surface;  tem- 
perature, 69°. 

I.  K.  Stubb's  well,  400  yards  west  of  station;  flow,  3  or  4  gauons  per 
minute;  water  rises  to  4  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69°. 

M.  Lindsey's  well;  flow,  1  gallon  per  minute;  water  rises  to  3  feet  above 
the  surface;  temperature,  69°. 

Well  at  N.  N.  Martin's  turpentine  still,  one-fourth  mile  from  station; 
bored  by  Charlie  Sowell;  depth,  75  or  80  feet;  casing,  2-inch;  flow,  25  gal- 
lons per  minute;  water  rises  to  8  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature, 
68V2°. 

J.  L.  Jernighan's  well,  one-fourth  mile  west  of  station;  bored  by  Mr. 
Jernighan;  depth,  73  feet;  casing,  iy2  inch;  flow,  25  gallons  per  minute; 
water  rises  to  3  feet  above  the  surface;  temperature,  69°. 

Other  wells  in  Pollard  are  on  Dr.  Ford's  place;  on  the  Hammock  or 
McMillan  place,  where  the  stream  fills  a  iy2  inch  pipe,  the  temperature  of 
the  water  being  68°;  and  at  the  Bonita  Hotel. 

WEST   OF  POLLAED. 

To  the  west  of  Pollard  there  are  few  wells  and  they  appear 
to  be  deeper.  At  Flomaton,  the  elevation  of  which  is  not 
greatly  different  from  that  of  Pollard,  there  is  only  one  well. 
viz,  that  in  Mr.  G.  A.  Ivey's  yard.  This'  well  was  sunk  by  driv- 
ing a  i  i -2-inch  pipe  with  open  end  down  311  feet,  and  pump- 
ing out  the  sand  and  other  materials  at  intervals  through  a 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  273 

smaller  pipe.  The  water  at  present  (1905)  rises  8  or  10  feet 
above  the  surface,  but  Mr.  Ivey  states  that  when  the  three 
fourths-inch  pipe  was  in  it  rose  more  than  50  feet  above  the 
surface.  The  material  pumped  out  was  chiefly  white  sand.  At 
211  feet  the  first  water,  a  powerful  stream,  was1  reached,  but 
the  sand  caved  in  ana  clogged  the  pipe,  and  it  was  not  obtained 
again.  Mr.  Ivey  reports  that  from  near  the  bottom' of  the  well 
was  brought  up  what  he  thought  to  be  a  petrified  oak  leaf, 
about  3  inches  long  and  narrow  like  the  leaf  of  the  willow  oak ; 
he  also  got  at  this  depth  "pieces  of  charcoal."  This  statement 
leads  to .  the  inference  that  the  boring  penetrated  the  Coal 
Bluff  lignite  bed,  which  should  be  at  about  this  depth  here. 
He  also  reports  that  at  old  Erie  (between  Pollard  and  Floma- 
ton)  there  is  or  was1  a  flowing  well,  in  which,  at  a  depth  of 
80  feet,  a  "cypress"  log  was  found. 

A  sample  of  the  water  from  Mr.'Ivey's  well  has  been  ana- 
lyzed by  Mr.  Hodges,  with  the  result  given  below. 

Analysis   of  water  from   G.   A.   Ivey's   well,   Flomaton. 


Parts  per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    2.3 

Sodium    (Na)    9.2 

Magnesium    (Mg)    3.7 

Calcium   (Ca)    8.5 

Iron    (Fe)    '. 3.8 

Alumina    (A12O3)    2.3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    2.8 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    9.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  64.1 

Silica  (SiO2)   15.2 


121.3 


The  water  has  a  slight  taste  of  sulphur  and  stains  glasses 
with  the  deposited  iron. 

Further  west,  at  Atmore,  in  the  W.  half  N.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 29,  Township  i,  Range  6,  a  well  was  bored  by  W.  M.  Car- 
ney in  1902,  but  no  water  was  obtained  and  no  record  is  avail- 
able. 

ROBERTS. 

The  deepest  boring  made  in  Escambia  County,   is   a  well 
bored  for  oil  on  the  banks  of  Conecuh  River  6  miles  above 
Roberts.     Unfortunately  samples  of  the  materials  penetrared 
18. 


274  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

at  different  depths  could  not  be  obtained  except  in  a  few  in- 
stances. At  a  depth  of  100  feet  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  wa< 
struck,  and  the  boring  was  still  in  the  same  rock  at  the  depth 
of  190  feet.  Claiborne  shells  were  brought  up  in  abundance 
before  the  drill  had  gone  700  feet.  As  nearly  as  can  be  determ- 
ined the  boring  must  have  gone  to  the  base  of  the  Tertiary,  if 
not  into  the  Ripley  beds. 

A  great  volume  of  water  was  struck  at  less  than  700  feet. 
It  was'  estimated  that,  when  half  shut  off,  this  flow  Was  300x3 
gallons  per  minute,  and  much  greater  before  being  reduced. 

The  boring  was  done  by  M.  Canfield  in  1902-3.  The  Grand 
Gulf  sands  are  at  the  surface,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  river 
bluff  is  formed  by  the  calcareous  sands  of  Miocene  age,  while 
the  top  of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  is  not  far  .below  the  water 
level  in  the  river,  since  it  shows  in  the  banks  a  few  miles  up- 
stream. The  water  which  pours'  out  of  this  well  is  beautifully 
clear  and  blue,  such  as  is  seen  in  limestone  springs,  and  is  de- 
cided limy. 

The  record  as  given  by  Mr.  Canfield  is  as  follows : 


Record  of  well  at  Roberts. 


Feet. 

Sand    0  22 

Blue  marl 22  —  37 

Fine  white  sand   " 37  —  39 

Gumbo     39  60 

Lime  rock  and  shell   60  —  Q\y2 

Gumbo     61%  —  90 

Layers  of  shell  rock  and  blue  clay,  1  or  2  inches  thick..    90  90 
Blue  clay,  1  foot;  white  shell  rock,  2%  feet;  blue  clay, 

shell  rock,   5  feet;   very  hard   flint  rock,   6  in.,   soft 

lime  rock,   2  feet;   blue  clay,  2  feet 100  —  113 

Lime   rock    113  -  120 

Hard  lime  rock,  18  inches;  soft  lime  rock,  2%  ft.;  hard 

lime  rock,  2  feet  120  —  126 

Lime  rock;  small  slow  at  about  150  feet 126  —  234 

Lime  and  sand  shale  (water)    234  —  248 

Sand  rock   248  -  317 

Lime  and  sand   (water)    317  —  337 

Hard   sand   rock    (water)    337  -  347 

Black  muck,   green   clay,   lignite,   trace   of  oil;   strong 

flow  of  water  (3,000  gallons  per  minute)  *  347  -  353 

Lime  rock,   lignite,   oily  sand 353  —  363 

Shale     363  —  365 

Sandy  shell  rock  365  —  375 

Shell  rock   375  —  388 

*The  water  from  350  feet  came  up  through  a  12-inch  pipe  22  feet 

above  the  ground,  then  8  feet  through  a  4-inch  pipe,  in  all  30  fef?t. 

From  the  top  of  this  pipe  a  4-inch  stream  was  projected  35  feet  into 
the  air,  65  feet  above  the  ground  surface. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  275 

Sandy  shale  388  —  401 

Soft,  honeycombed  lime  rock  401  —  413 

Gumbo  (sea  sediment)  413  —  416 

Hard  shell  rock  416  —  427 

Soft  sand  rock,  lignite  427  —  441 

Lignite  441  -  446 

Sand  446  -  466 

Soft  lime  rock,  becoming  harder 466  -  480 

Honeycombed  lime  rock  (water)  480  -  490 

Hard  lime  rock  490  -  505 

Blue  marl  505  -  506 

Lime  rock  506  —  522 

Soft  lime  522  —  524 

Sand,  strong  flow  of  water,  nearly  as  great  as  that  at 

350  feet  524  —  526 

Lime  rock,  sandy  at  times  526  —  588 

Sandy  shale  588  -  600 

Lime  rock,  part  shells  600  -  629 

Blue  sand  shale  629  -  639 

Lime  rock 639  —  653 

Sand  and  shale;  at  675  feet  good  flow  of  water 653  —  698 

Lime  rock;  thin  stratum  of  coal  in  last  30  feet 698  —  748 

Shell  rock  (cap  rock)  748  -  758 

Sand  rock,  much  mica  758  —  764 

Shell  rock  764  —  773 

Hard  slate  '. 773  —  813 

Shell  and  lime  rock  813  -  821 

Sand  821  -  831 

Shell  and  sand  831  -  911 

Pyrite  911  -  912 

Blue  marl  912  -  923 

Gumbo,  some  shell  923  —  958 

Chalk 9o8  -  960 

Gumbo  960  -  968 

Soft  sand  rock  9o8  -  988 

Sand  rock  988  —  S92 

Pyrite 9b2  -  9b9 

Gumbo,  streaks  of  shale  99J  —  1148 

Dark  clay  1148  —  11&4 

Hard  lime  rock.shells  1154  —  1158 

Clay,  like  lime ;..1158  —1159 

Lime,  shells,  sand  rock  1159  —  1164 

Gumbo,  some  gas  1164  — 1214 

Porous  lime  rock  1214  —1220 

Shale  1220  —  1240 

Soft,  porous  black  rock,  oil  sand 1240  —1245 

Dark  shale  1245  —1290 

Dark-green  sand  1290  —  13<j5 

Soft  rock  1305  —1310 

Dark  shale  1310  —1320 

Gumbo  with  shell  1320  —  1337 

Soft  sand  rock  1^37  —  1350 

Dark  shale  1350  —1355 

Shells,  lime  rock  1355  —  1360 

Dark  shale  1360  —1375 

Soft  sand  rock  1375  —  1380 

Dark  shale  1380  —  Ib90 

White  clay 1390  —  1400 

Soft  sand  rock,  black  specks  1400  —1410 

Sandy  shale,  black  specks  1410  —  1422 

Dark  shale : 1422  —1439 

Pyrites,  shells,  sand  and  rock  mixed  together,  salt 

water,  flow  150  gallons  per  minutes 1439  —  1484 

Dark  shale,  hard  hard  streaks  and  some  shells 1484  —  1522 

Dark  clay  or  gumbo  1522  —  15oO 

Hard  flinty  rock  1550  —  1553 

Gumbo  shale,  some  shells  1553  —1640 

At  this  depth  the  formation  should  be  lower  Nanafalia  or 

Naheola.    At  1300  feet  a  petrified  sea-crab  shell  was  found. 
At  1600  feet,  s'alt  water  about  200  gallons  per  minute. 


276  DKTAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

MONROE  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  older  Tertiary  formations  of  Monroe  County  range 
from  the  Nanafalia  sands  and  marls  in  the  north  to  the  St. 
Stephens  limestone  in  the  south,  with  the  capping  formations 
of  the  Grand  Gulf  over  the  limestone  and  the  Lafayette  over 
all,  where  not  removed  by  denudation.  This  gives  the  usual 
Coastal  Plain  variety  in  the  shallow  water  conditions.  Where 
these  are  dependent  on  the  two  capping  formations,  the  quality 
and  quantity  of  the  water  are  generally  all  that  can  be  desired. 
In  many  places',  where  these  mantles  have  been  removed  the 
underlying,  older  Tertiary  materials  influence  the  shallow-water 
supply  both  in  quality  -and  quantity. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 
AWIN  AND  VICINITY.  , 

Near  Awin  in  Wilcox  county  but  across  the  line  in  the  north  - 
eastern  part  of  Monroe  county,  there  is  an  area  in  the  Nana- 
falia terrane  in  which  are  many  fine  springs.  The  waters  from 
five  of  these  have  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges  for  Messrs.  J. 
M.  Williams  and  S.  L.  Crooks,  with  results'  shown  in  following 
table. 

Analyses  of  water  from  springs  in  Monroe  County  near  Awin,  Wi1.- 

cox  county. 


Parts  per  million. 
No.  1    No.  2    No.  3    No.  4    No.  5 


Potassium   (K)    

1.9 

1.1 

1/2 

1.3 

.8 

Sodium    ,Na)    

9.2 

7.7 

7.5 

8.2 

7.0 

Magnesium     (Mg)     

1.2 

4.1 

3.9 

3.2 

4.3 

Calcium    (Ca)    

13.7 

59.6 

54.1 

36.0 

17.2 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3)  

2.8 

7.3 

1.9 

3.0 

4.8 

Chlorine   (CD    

3.5 

6.6 

5.3 

5.3 

3.7 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)  

10.2 

52.1 

38.2 

23.3 

7.5 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    

55.7 

146.4 

148.2 

114.1 

77.7 

Silica    (SiO2)     

29.6 

49.5 

43.8 

53.9 

31.1 

127.8      334.4      303.1      248.3      154.1 


Analysis  of  No.  I  was  made  for  Mr.  J.  M.  Williams  of  Awin 
in  1903,  the  others  were  made  in  1906  for  Mr.  S.  L.  Crook  and 
others  who  intended  to  improve  the  property  with  a  view  to 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  277 

making  it  a  health  resort.  The  odor  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
was  noticed  when  the  water  No.  5  was  examined,  but  no  attempt 
was  made  to  determine  the  amount  since  to  be  of  any  value 
such  determination  would  have  to  be  made  at  the  spring. 

TUNNEL    SPRINGS. 

At  about  the  site  of  old  Kemps'ville,  near  the  station  of  Tun- 
nel Springs,  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  in  the 
L.  W.  quarter  S.  H.  quarter  Section  14,  Township  8,  Range  8, 
are  two  springs  which  have  lately  attracted  attention.  They 
issue  from  a  high  hill  of  the  Buhrstone  rock,  and  are  only 
about  1 5  feet  apart.  The  composition  of  the  dissolved  mineral 
matter  is  similar  in  the  two  waters,  but  with  slight  differences, 
as'  the  following  analyses  by  Mr.  Hodges  will  show : 

Analyses  of  water  from  Tunnel  Springs. 


Parts    per  million. 

No.  1  No.  2 

Potassium   (K)    1.9  1.0 

Sodiun    (Na)    G.9  4.8 

Magnesiu  n    (Mg)     37.4  23.0 

Calcium   (Ca)    88.4  65.0 

Iron    (Fe)    44.6  

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 42.6 

Aluminum  (Al)   32.2  

Chlorine     (Cl)     trace  trace 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4) 618.0  336.0 

Carbonic  acid  (HCOs)   7.1  

Silica    (Si02) 34.5  39.4 


871.0  511.8 


With  this  composition  these  springs  should  have  very  de- 
cided medical  qualities,  but  as  yet  there  are  no  improvements 
or  accommodations  for  visitors. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  Tuscahoma  and  Nanafalia  sands  are  usually  water  bear- 
ing and  favorable  to  the  success'  of  artesian  borings,  and  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
getting  artesian  water  from  them.  In  the  southern  part  the 
Claiborne  and  St.  Stephens  formations  may  usually  be  counted 
on  to  yield  artesian  water.  Only  two  records  of  deep  borings 
have  been  obtained  from  Monroe  County. 


278  DETAILS :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

NADAWAH. 

Shoal  Creek  Lumber  Company's  well,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E. 
quarter  Section  28,  Township  10,  Range  9;  bored  by  New  Orleans  par- 
ties; water  stands  at  -3  feet. 

Record  of  Shoal  Creek  Lumber  Company's  well,  Nadawah. 


Feet. 

Soil     0—      8 

Rock     '. 8—    12 

•Soapstone    12  —    30 

Rock    30  —    34 

Soapstone    34  —    48 

Rock    48  —    51 

Soapstone    51  —    59 

Rock 59  —    61 

Sand  and  shell 61  —    64 

Rock    64  —    69 

Soapstone    69  —    78 

Rock    78  —    80 

Sand  and  shell   80  —    90 

Rock    90  —    96 

Sand  and  shell 96  —  120 

White  sand,  with  water   120  —  137 

Shell    137  —  156 

Quicksand     156  —  160 

Clay     160  —  168 

Soapstone    168  —  207 

Rock    207  —  209 

Soapstone    209  —  259 

Muck     259  —  327 

Black  clay   327  —  490 

Shell  rock,  4  inches  thick   —490 

(?) ; 490  —  516 

Rock 516  —  532 

Black  clay   532  —  551 

Rock     551  —  557 

Muck     557  —  676 

Rock,  8  inches  thick —  676 

Drab  clay    676  —  716 

Rock    716  —  717 

Drab  clay   , 717  —  718 

Rock     718  —  720 

Black  .clay    720  —  744 

(?)      744  —  751 

Rock,  18  inches  thick  751  —  752 

Drab  clay   -. 752  —  781 

Rock     ...781  —  784 


This  record  does  not  give  much  information  as  to  the  strata 
penetrated,  but  from  the  depth  of  the  well  and  its  position  the 
borings  must  go  into  the  Ripley  sands  of  the  Cretaceous,  Nad- 
awah being  on  the  outcrop  of  the  Nanafalia. 

• 
MAROS. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  county  at  Maros,  Mr.  J.  A.  Joullian 
has  recently  (1906)  bored  a  well  for  Mr.  J.  M.  Blacksher  to 
the  depth  of  600  feet. 


WATERS  OF  1HE  TERTIARY  279 

While  this  boring-  was  a  failure  as  regards  artesian  water, 
it  gives  some  definite  information  about  the  underlying  for- 
mations. The  record  according  to  Mr.  Joullian  is  as  follows : 

Record  of  J.  M.  Blacksher's  well  at  Maros. 


Feet. 

Red  clay,   gravel  and  sand 0  —  300 

Hard  blue  clay  or  shale SCO  —  400 

Sand    400  —  420 

Dark   brown   clay   without   fossils 420  —  460 

Same  material  more  granular  in  structure 460—  480 

Same    material     with    small     shells     of     mio- 

cene  age  ' 480  —  500 

Hard  blue  shale  or  clay 500  —  540 

Rock    540  —  545 

Blue   clay    545  —  585 

Soft  blue  clay  or  gumbo 585  —  600 

Hard  white  limestone  rock,  bottom  of  boring.. 600  —  604 


On  account  of  the  hardness  of  the  rock  at  the  depth  of  600 
feet  and  because  the  upper  part  of  the  boring  was'  not  cased 
and  getting  into  bad  shape,  the  drilling  was  stopped,  and  an- 
other larger  well  of  10  inch  diameter,  was  begun  with  the  in- 
tention of  going  down  to  1500  or  2000  feet  depth.  At  this 
time  (Jan.  1907),  the  boring  is  down  200  feet  in  the  red  clay 
and  gravel. 

The  shells  which  were  brought  up  from  480  to  500  feet  have 
been  identified  as  being  of  Chipola  age,  and  the  white  lime- 
stone is  probably  either  the  Chattahoochee  limestone  of  Lang- 
don,  or  the  top  of  the  St.  Stephens. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  no  water-bearing  sands  were 
penetrated  in  the  600  feet  of  this  boring. 


WILCOX  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

In  Wilcox  County  the  older  underlying  formations'  are  the 
Ripley  in  the  northwestern  part  and  the  lower  Tertiary  forma- 
tions up  to  the  Woods  Bluff  and  Hatchetigbee  in  the  southern. 
These  older  formations  are  covered  discontinuously  by  rem- 
nants of  the  Lafayette  capping  of  red  sandy  loams  and  pebbles. 
In  most  parts  of  the  county  an  abundance  of  good  water  is 
stored  in  the  superficial  deposits'  and  is  recoverable  from  springs 


280  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

and  wells.  Some  of  the  springs  are  considered  to  have  med- 
icinal qualities,  and  analyses  of  the  water  from  two  of  them 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  county  are  here  presented. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 
CALEDONIA. 

At  Caledonia  on  the  land  of  Mr.  W.  H.  McGraw  a  well 
about  30  feet  deep  sunk  in  materials  of  the  Nanafalia  formation 
yields  a  water  with  very  strong  mineral  properties,  as  may  be 
seen  in  the  subjoined  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges. 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  of  W.  H.  McGraw,  Caledonia. 


Parts   per   million. 

Potassium    (K)    14.6 

Sodium    (Na)    ' 150.6 

Magnesium    (Mg)    189.  ^ 

Calcium   (Ca)    649.8 

Iron  and  alumina  (Pe2OB,  A12O3) 2. 6 

Chlorine   (Cl) 310.8 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4   1712.0 

Carbonic   acid    (HCO3) 686.5 

Silica    (SiO2)    45.2 

3761.1 


A  spring  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  close  by  has  also  strong  as- 
tringent and  acid  taste.  The  mineral  quality  of  these  waters 
depends  undoubtedly  on  the  presence  of  iron  pyrites'  in  the 
strata. 

SCHUSTER. 

On  the  property  of  G.  W.  Stuart  at  Schuster  are  numerous 
springs  boiling  up  through  the  s'ands  on  land  lying  between 
swamp  and  hills  covered  with  piny  woods.  The  water  analyzed 
(by  Mr.  Hodges)  has  an  exceptionally  small  amount  of  dis- 
solved mineral  matter,  but  the  relative  proportions  of  the  in- 
gredients, i.  e.,  the  preponderance  of  the  salts  of  sodium  and 
magnesium,  may  account  for  the  medicinal  qualities. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  2cS  1 

Analysis  of  water  from  Stuarts  Spring,  Schuster. 


Parts  per   million. 

Potassium    (K) 1.1 

Sodium    (Na)    8.1 

Magnesium    (Mg)    .7 

Calcium   (Ca)    .8 

Iron   and  alumina   (Pe2O3,   A12O3)    1.3 

Chlorine     (Cl)     : 3.5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4) 3.4 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    18.7 

Silica   (SiO2)    11.4 


AWIN. 


On  J.  M.  Williams's'  land,  on  the  line  between  Wilcox  and 
Monroe  counties,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
22,  Township  10,  Range  n,  are  12  springs,  one  of  them  free- 
stone water,  the  others  mineral.  That  these  springs  are  in  the 
region  of  the  Nanafalia  formation  is  shown  by  the  occurrence 
of  rock  composed  of  shells  of  the  characteristic  oyster  of  this 
horizon.  As'  all  of  the  springs  from  which  the  waters  have 
been  analyzed  are  just  south  of  the  ccunty  line  and  in  Monroe, 
these  analyses  will  be  found  under  Monroe  county. 


OTHER    SPRINGS. 


Between  Consul,  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad, 
and  Gastonburg,  on  the  Southern  Railway  is  Boiling  Springs, 
so-called  from  the  fact  that  a  fine  freestone  spring  boils  up 
through  the  sands. 

Several  sulphur  springs  occur  at  various  points  in  the  county. 
Of  these  mention  may  be  made  of  one  at  Annemanie;  one  it 
Pine  Hill,  on  the  Southern  Railway;  Tait's  spring  at  Blacks 
Bluff,  on  Alabama  River,  and  one  on  Judge  J.  T.  Beck's  place 
near  Camden. 

About  Gastonburg  and  Roberta,  in  the  Cretaceous  terranes, 
are  small,  flat-topped  hills  capped  with  sandy  strata  of  the  later 
formation  (Lafayette).  On  these  hills  water  is  readily  obtained 
from  shallow  wells;  while  in  the  lower  lands'  near  by,  lacking 
this  capping  of  sands,  there  is  often  a  scarcity  of  water.  The 
case  is  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Forkland  country  in 
Greene  County  noticed  above,  (p.  144.) 


282  DETAILS  !      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  only  deep  wells  in  Wilcox  County,  records  of  which 
have  been  obtained,  are  those  about  Pine  Hill  and  Catherine,  on 
the  Southern  Railway;  but  there  seems'  to  be  no  good  reason 
why  such  wells  should  not  be  successful  in  other  parts  of  the 
county,  especially  in  the  region  where  the  Nanafalia  sands  are 
available.  The  success  of  the  boring  at  Nadawah,  just  over  the 
line  in  Monroe  County,  is  indicative  of  what  may  be  expected  in 
the  lower  part  of  Wilcox  County. 

PINE    HILL. 

Well  of  Vredenburg  Saw  Mill  Co.,  at  Pine  Hill,  in  Section  29,  Town- 
ship 12,  Range  5  East.  Bored  by  J.  H.  Wood,  of  Bristol,  Tenn.,  in  1905. 
Depth,  404  feet;  cased  to  bottom.  Flows  3  gallons  per  minute. 

Altitude  of  Pine  Hill  station,  110  feet. 

CATHERINE    AND    VICINITY. 

The  records  about  Catherine  are  as  follows : 

Mr.  J.  S.  Robins  reports  that  within  6  miles  of  Catherine  there  are 
three  wells  on  his  place  and  his  father's  old  place  adjoining  on  the 
north,  all  of  them  about  120  feet  deep.  At  120  feet  quicksand  is  found  and 
the  water  rises  to  about  -20  feet.  In  each  case  a  4-foot  well  was  dug 
down  to  water,  and  buckets  are  used.  The  wells  are  thus  little  better 
than  surface  wells,  as  the  water  in  them  is  almost  entirely  sepage  water 
except  in  the  dry  season.  Other  surface  wells  in  this  vicinity  go  dry, 
but  these  furnish  water  the  entire  year. 

On  the  Kirksey  place,  4  miles  north  of  west  of  Catherine  is  an  old 
well,  reported  to  be  300  feet  deep,  in  which  water  stood  at  -60  feet;  a 
4-foot  well  was  dug  around  it  to  the  water  and  buckets  were  used.  This 
is  a  watering  place  for  a  large  area  in  dry  seasons. 

On  Mr.  J.  R.  Pharr's  place,  in  Catherine,  is  a  dug  well  90  to  100  feet 
deep,  having  6  or  8  feet  of  water  in  the  bottom.  It  is  definitely  stated  by 
several  of  the  older  citizens  that  in  the  bottom  of  this  well  is  a  bored  well 
of  considerable  depth;  one  report  giving  it  as  800  feet,  another  as  400  feet. 

Mr.  M.  A.  Boynton,  of  Catherine,  reports  several  very  old  wells  flowing 
small  streams  on  the  north  side  of  ^hilatchee  Creek,  a  few  miles  north 
and  northeast  of  Rehobeth  and  Alberta. 

Mr.  Dave  Vaughn  has  a  4-foot  well  1  mile  southwest  of  Catherine,  15 
feet  deep,  in  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  hole  6  inches  in  diameter  of  un- 
known dpth.  When  the  water  is  dipped  out  and  the  well  cleaned  the 
water  rises  rapidly  and  finally  stands  at  -15  feet  in  dry  weather,  when 
no  seepage  water  enters.  Mr.  Vaughn  reports  several  such  wells  in  the 
vicinity. 

All  of  the  above  wells  probably  do  not  penetrate  deeper  than  the  Rip- 
ley  formation,  which  prevails  at  the  surface. 


WATERS  OF- THE  TERTIARY  283 

CLARKE  BOUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  underlying  Tertiary  strata  of  Clarke  County  range  from 
from  the  Tuscahoma  or  Bells  Landing  group  up  to  and  includ- 
ing the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  but  owing  to  an  uplift  of  the 
Hatchetigbee  anticline,  the  Jackson  anticline,  and  perhaps 
other  disturbances  of  the  strata,  there  are  complications  in  the 
geologic  structure  which  make  its  study  of  exceeding  interest 
and  which  will  have  to  be  taken  into  account  in  calculating  the 
probabilities  of  success  in  artesian  borings. 

The  open,  sandy  nature  of  most  of  these  formations  and  the 
fact  that  remnants  of  the  great  mantle  of  Lafayette  loam  and 
pebbles  are  common  on  all  the  great  divides  insure  an  abund- 
ance of  good  freestone  water  from  springs  and  open  wells  In 
nearly  every  part  of  the  county. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 

As  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Choctaw,  the  Hatchetigbee 
sands  and  clays  are  the  source  of  many  springs  of  mineral 
water,  especially  sulphur  and  chalybeate,  and  along  the  lower 
border  of  the  Hatchetigbee  uplift, '  of  tolerably  strong  brines. 
While  many  "salt  oozes"  spring  from  the  outcrops  of  Hatche- 
tigbee materials,  most  of  the  brines  are  derived  from  bored 
wells',  and  hence  they  will  be  considered  in  connection  with  the 
artesian  prospects. 

TALL  AH  ATT  A    SPRINGS. 

In  Section  26,  Township  n.  Range  2  E.,  are  the  well-known 
Tallahatta  Sulphur  Springs,  in  the  lowlands  of  Tallahatta 
Creek,  at  the  northern  base  of  the  Buhrstone  hills.  These 
springs  are  very  little  improved,  and  the  visitors  are  mainly 
from  the  immediate  vicinity. 

LOWER    SALT    WORKS    SULPHUR    SPRING. 

This  is  a  fine  spring  coming  like  the  Tallahatta,  from  the 
Hatchetigbee  clays  at  the  bas'e  of  a  ridge  of  Buhrstone  rocks. 
The  water  is  of  a  decidedly  saline  taste,  but  very  palatable. 


284  DETAILS:    COASTAL -PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Other  sulphur  springs  occur  with  the  salt  waters  of  the  Hat- 
chetigbee horizon,  but  they  are  not  improved  or  visited  ex- 
cept by  the  people  living  near  by. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

The  water-bearers  among  the  Clarke  County  strata 
are  the  Hatchetigbee  and  the  lower  Claiborne  forma- 
tions, though  water  may  also  generally  be  found  in 
the  underlying  Tuscahoma  sands.  The  strata  in  Clarke 
County  do  not  have  a  uniform  southerly  dip,  but  are  thrown 
into  waves  by  the  Hatchetigbee  anticline.  This  uplift  extends 
diagonally  through  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  but  its 
effects  are  seen  throughout  the  county,  especially  in  the  fact 
that  by  it  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  is  kept  as  the  surface  for- 
mation, overlain,  of  course,  by  the  Lafayette,  over  two-thirds 
of  the  entire  area.  This  means  that  the  formations  in  this'  area 
lie  nearly  flat,  or  rather  in  a  basin,  since  the  Hatchetigbee  sands 
and  clays,  after  disappearing  below  the  surface  above  Grove 
Hill,  reappear  in  the  vicinity  of  Tombigbee  River  at  Jackson 
and  at  other  points  as  far  south  as  Oven  Bluff.  These  reap- 
pearances of  the  older  beds  s'o  far  south,  though  in  the  pro- 
longation of  the  Hatchetigbee  anticline,  are  due  to  another  an- 
ticline, the  Jackson.  The  bearing  of  these  facts  on  the  artesian 
prospects  will  be  evident. 


OLD    SALT    WELLS. 

Deep  borings  for  water  for  domestic  and  similar  uses  have 
not,  so  far  as  information  is  available,  been  attempted  in  Clarke 
County;  but  many  years  ago,  before  or  during  the  civil  war, 
on  many  of  the  outcrops'  of  the. Hatchetigbee  strata,  especially 
along  the  southern  border  of  the  Hatchetigbee  anticline,  and  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  Jackson  anticline  the  occurrence  of  salt 
springs  or  oozes  in  the  low  grounds  of  Tombigbee  River,  both 
in  Washington  and  Clarke  counties,  led  to  the  boring  of  wells 
for  a  more  ample  supply  of  brine  for  salt  making,  and  there 
are  scores  of  these  old  wells  in  both  counties',  bored  to  depths 
varying  from  a  few  feet  to  400  feet  as  a  maximum.  All  of  them 
overflow,  being  located  as  a  rule  in  the  palmetto  flats  of  the 
creeks  such  as  Stave,  Jackson,  and  Salt  creeks,  usually  near 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  285 

their  mouths  but  occasionally  2  miles  or  more  from  the  river. 
Some  of  the  salt  wells  are  merely  excavations  around  the  salt 
oozes,  filled  to  the  brim  with  the  brine.  During  the  war  these 
places  were  centers  of  salt  production  for  the  State  and  for 
the  Confederacy,  the  men  engaged  in  the  manufacture  being 
exempted  from  military  duty.  The  principal  production  was 
at  the  Upper,  Middle,  and  Lower  Salt  Works,  the  first  being 
in  T.  7,  Range  I  E.,  the  second  in  Township  6,  Range  2  E., 
and  the  last  in  Township  5,  Range  2  E.,  not  far  from  Oven 
Bluff.  The  Upper  Salt  Works,  and  the  lower  works,  near 
Oven  Bluff,  have  been  patented  to  the  State  of  Alabama, 
under  the  names  "salt  reserve  lands." 

A  small  amount  of  natural  gas  comes  with  the  salt  water 
from  these  wells  in  most  cases,  and  at  some  of  them  especially 
where  the  brines  are  weak,  there  is  a  good  deal  of  sulphuretted 
hydrogen. 

In  the  low  grounds'  of  Bassetts  Creek,  south  of  Jackson,  is  a 
bored  well,  105  to  no  feet  in  depth  (presumably  altogether  in 
the  Hatchetigbee  formation),  which  yields  a  good  stream  of 
sulphur  water,  rather  strongly  impregnated  with  salt.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  agreeable  to  the  taste  of  any  of  the  sulphur  wa- 
ters of  the  State,  and  it  has  recently  been  piped  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  well  up  to  a  pavilion  at  the  railroad  station 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter 
Section  9,  Township  6,  Range  2,  where  it  comes  up  through 
a  marble  vase  provided  for  it.  (PL  XVII,  B.)  The  compo- 
sition is  shown  by  Mr.  Hodges'  analysis  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  well  on  Bassetts   Creek,  near  Jackson. 


Parts  per   million,     i 

Lithium    (Li) trace 

Potassium    (K)     8.2 

Sodium    (Na) 960.3 

Magnesium    (Mg)    16.0 

Calcium   (Ca) 54.0 

Iron  and  alumina   (FeoO3,   A12O8)    •. 2.6 

Chlorine   (CD    1466.5 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    6.4 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen   (H2S)    

Carbonic  acid  (HCO8)   267.1 

Silica  (SiO2)   17.8 


2798.9 
'Present   not   determined. 


286  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

The  bored  well  which  furnishes  this  water  is  very  near  the 
center  of  Section  9,  Township  6,  Range  2,  and  a  few  yards 
southwest  of  it  is  another  well,  the  Saint  well,  which  yields 
a  sulphur  water  with  less  salt  than  the  Jackson  well.  In  the 
northwest  quarter  of  this  section,  about  100  yards'  west  of  the 
pavilion,  or  vase  of  the  sulphur  well,  is  another  bored  well 
yielding  a  chalybeate  water,  like  the  others  somewhat  impreg- 
nated with  sulphur.  A  fourth  well  is  in  the  low  grounds  of 
the  creek,  about  a  mile  west  of  the  wells  here  described.  In 
all  these  wells  the  water  overflows. 

About  5  miles  above  Jacks'on,  at  Glendon  station,  on  the 
Southern  Railway,  there  is  a  flowing  well  bored  eight  or  ten 
years  ago  by  Mr.  Welch,  then  in  charge  of  the  sawmills  at  that 
place. 

Two  miles  beyond  Glendon,  at  Walker  Springs,  there  are 
three  old  wells  sunk  before  the  war.  One  of  these,  south  of 
the  railroad,  is  near  the  site  of  the  old  hotel  and  constitutes  the 
springs  from  which  the  place  is  named.  The  other  two  are 
nearer  the  railroad.  A  fourth  well  was*  sunk  by  Mr.  Savage 
about  ten  years  ago  at  his  store  near  the  railroad.  All  these 
wells  overflow. 

RECENT   BORINGS. 

The  discovery  of  oil  at  Beaumont,  Tex.,  a  few  years  ago  led 
to  the  search  for  oil  in  many  parts  of  the  South  and  the  brine 
and  gas  wells  of  Clarke  and  Washington  counties  naturally 
attracted  attention  with  the  result  that  drilling  was  soon  begun 
in  all  the  old  salt-works  regions.  A  few  of  the  records  of  these 
borings  are  here  given  through  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  S.  A. 
Hobson  and  W.  R.  Osborne,  In  many  cases  the  records  were 
not  accurately  kept,  and  only  scanty  notes,  mainly  of  the  depth 
of  the  borings  and  the  depths  at  which  water  was  encountered, 
are  now  obtainable 

Well  at  Beckham's  Landing,  near  McGrew  Shoals;  bored  in  1903-4;  depth, 
2600  feet, 

Bolen  well,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  S.  E.  quarter 
Section  17,  Township  7.  Range  1,  E.;  bored  under  the  direction  of  S.  A. 
Hobson  in  1902-3. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  287 

Record  of  Bolen  well. 


Material.  Thickness.    Depth. 

Feet.    Feet. 

Lafayette  loam  with  gravel  at  bottom 20  20 

Dark-blue   and  greenish   marl   and   sandy   clays, 

with  occasional  pyrite  nodules 40  60 

Ledge  of  rock  (strong  gas  flow  just  below  this)  1  61 
Indurated  sand  rock  (more  gas  and  undetermin- 
ed volume  of  salt  water) 3           64 

Dark    marls    with    pyrite    nodules    interspersed 

(more  gas  and  film  of  oil)) 40         104 

Quicksand,    with    lignitic    streaks    near    bottom  25         129 

Dark    marls    and    clays,      occasionally      slightly 

sandy    100         229 

Light-colored,  slightly  indurated  sand  rock 10         239 

Dark  gummy  clays  or  marls,  exuding  a  black, 
molasses  like  odorless  fluid,  which  fluor- 

esces  in   certain   lights    90         329 

Alternations  of  dark  gummy  shales,  sand  clays, 
and  clayey  sands,  with  occasional  pyrite 
nodules  (gummy  shales  aggregating  90 

per  cent,  of  the  mass) 377         706 

Hard,   almost  quartz-like  sand   rock 4         710 

Loose  sands,  dark-colored  gray  grains,  full  of 
fish  remains  (strong  stream  of  salt  water 
—about  6  per  cent,  solution— with  gas 
that  burns  steady  flame  15  inches  high 
from  mouth  of  6-inch  pipe) 30  740 


At  740  feet  the  Bolen  well  was  discontinued,  owing  to  inabil- 
ity of  the  contractor  to  complete  his  contract  The  strata  of 
the  Buhrstone  occupy  the  surface  at  the  mouth  of  the  well, 
with  the  St.  Stephens  limestone  on  the  elevations  near  by*  At 
740  feet  the  boring  would  probably  reach  the  Manafalia  sands. 

A  sample  of  the  brine  from  an  old  well  close  to  the  Bolen 
well  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges.  This  brine  was  used 
during  the  civil  war  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and  may  be 
taken  as"  a  fair  representative  of  that  class  of  water. 

Analysis  of  water  from  old  salt  well  near  Bolen  well. 


Parts  per  million. 

Postassium   (K)    144.0 

Sodium    (Na)    11472.0 

Magnesium    (Mg)    122.4 

Calcium   (Ca)    246.8 

Iron    and    alumina    (Fe^Og,    Al2Os) 5.2 

Chlorine   (Cl)    " 18520.0 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO,)    trace 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     26.1 

Silica    (Si02)     8.2 


30544  7 


288  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Edgar  well,  on  Bumpus  land,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  W.  quarter  Sec- 
tion -6,  Township  7,  Range  1  E.;  drilled  by  W.  R.  Osborne,  of  Metuchen, 
N.  J.,  for  the  Edgar  Oil  Company  in  1903-4. 

The  following  record  was  furnished  by  Mr.  Osborne: 

Record  of  Edgar  well. 


Material.                                                          Thi< 

ikness. 

Depth. 

Feet. 

Feet. 

Sand    

10 

10 

Limestone     

4 

14 

Mud    

3 

17 

White  chimney  rock   (St.    Stephens   limestone).. 

83 

100 

Yellow  sand,  dry   

10 

110 

Blue  sandy  clay   

5 

115 

White  limestone   

50 

165 

Sand    

20 

185 

Shells     

5 

190 

Black  clay   

25 

215 

Black   sand    

10 

225 

Gray    sand   and   shells  

50 

275 

Buhrstone     

47 

322 

Clay  with  mica   f... 

9 

324 

Sand  and  shells  (slight  show  of  oil)  '  

28 

352 

Bluish  sand   

28 

370 

Buhrstone   and   shale    

32 

402 

Coarse    water-sand    

55 

457 

Green  clay  and  stone  

47 

504 

Green  clay  and  stone,  showing  oil  and  gas  

24 

528 

Gumbo     

37 

565 

Gray  and  black  sand  

5 

570 

Light-colored  gumbo,  turning  dark...  
Black  sand  and  shell,  with  gas  and  oil  

132 

2 

702 
704 

Black  gumbo   

1 

705 

Gray  sand  and  clays,  with  gas  

120 

825 

Gumbo     

80 

905 

Sind,  with  water  and  gas  

25 

930 

Blue   gumbo    

30 

960 

Sand  and  gas  

15 

975 

Blue   gumbo    

5 

980 

White   clay    

2 

982 

Very  black  sand   '  

i, 

983 

Gumbo     

52 

1035 

Sand    

20 

1055 

Gumbo     

47 

1102 

Black  sand  and  gas  

6 

1108 

Light-colored   clay    

52 

1160 

Gumbo   (stopped  on  rock)    

41 

1201 

This  boring  beginning  at  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  'which  is  passed 
at  165  feet,  probably  goes  into  the  Naheola  beds. 

Busn  well,  on  State  Salt  Reserve  lands,  (Upper  Salt  Works)  half  a 
mile  northwest  of  the  Edgar  well,  in  the  center  of  Section  27,  Township 
7,  Range  1  E.;  bored  by  George  O.  and  W.  R.  Osborne  for  T.  G.  Bush 
&  Co.,  in  1902;  record  not  obtained. 

Salt  Mountain  well,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  N.  W.  quarter  S. 
A  /.  quarter,  Section  34,  Township  6,  Range  2  E. ;  bored  in  1904-5  under  the 
direction  of  S.  A.  Hobson. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  289 

Record  of  Salt  Mountain  well. 


Material.  Thickness.    Depth. 

Feet.    Feet. 

Surface  soil  and  clayey  sand   7  7 

Bluish   clay    10  17 

Fossiliferous   limestone   ledge    i£       17^ 

Gravel  (strong  stream  of  salt  water,  some  gas)  2          19^ 
Dark-greenish,       unctious-feeling,       acid-tasting 
substance     containing     occasional     fossil 
shells  or  prints,  weathering  white  on  ex- 
posure to  air    21^ 

Gravel  and  clear   sand    49  701/£ 

Indurated    dark-grayish    sand    rock 4  74^ 

Dark-gray  sand,  partially  indurated,  with  oc- 
casional very  hard  ledges  50  124^ 

Dark  gummy  shale,  exuding  odorless,  molasses- 
like  scum;  very  compact  formation  as  a' 
whole,  but  with  thin  streak  of  gravel  and 
sand;  nodules  of  pyrite  interspersed 

throughout     215         339^ 

Indurated  ledge  of  sand  rock   iy2     341 

Gummy  shale  similar  to  that  215  feet   100         441 

Very   hard  conglomerate;    sand,   gravel,    pyrites 

and  ocasional  shell  fragments 5         446 

Gummy  shales  with  many  pyrite  nodules  and 
occasional  shale  "pots"  which  cave  under 

water  pressure   75         521 

Mixture     of    clay,     gravel,     and    shells,     capped 

with   indurated   ledge    12         533 

Gummy    clays,    with    occasional    alternations    of 

siliceous  shale  and  pyrite  nodules 196         729 

Compact   shale   ledge    1%      730M- 

Sand,  almost  hard  enough  to  make  self-sus- 
taining walls  77V&  808 

Very  hard   ledge,   semi-crystalline  sand  rock 1         809 

Partially  indurated  sand   92         901 

Peculiar  dark  sandy  shale,  somewhat  shot 
shaped  when  wet  but  rather  amorphous 
when  dry,  pouring  out  of  hole  in  volumes 
as  drilling  progressed  20  921 


At  this  depth  the  boring"  beginning  near  the  top  of  the  Hat- 
chetigbee  would  probably  be  down  into  the  Nanafalia  or  the 
Naheola. 


290  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

CHOCTAW   COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  strata  of  the  entire  Tertiary  series,  from  the  Sucarno- 
chee  up  to  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  are  involved  in  the  struc- 
ture of  Choctaw  County ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  county  an  anticlinal  uplift  brings  up  the  Hatche- 
tigbee  clays  in  the  midst  of  the  St.  Stephens  territory.  Rem- 
nants of  the  Lafayete  sands,  loams,  and  pebbles  are  found 
capping  some  of  the  divides  and  forming  as  usual  level  pla- 
teaus. Under  these  conditions  there  is  no  lack  of  good  water 
from  springs  and  open  wells. 

MINERAL  SPRINGS. 

Waters  of  medicinal  quality  are  furnished  by  a  number  of 
formations  in  this  county — the  Claiborne,  Hatchetigbee,  Woods 
Bluff,  Tuscahoma,  Nanafalia,  and  Naheola — practically  the 
whole  series  occurring  in  the  county.  A  rather  full  list  of 
these  springs  is  here  presented  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  O. 
C.  Ulmer,  of  Butler. 

Springs  of  the  Claiborne  formation. 

THORNTON  SPRINGS. 

On  Surveyors  Creek,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Sec- 
tion 24,  Township  11,  Range  3  W.,  there  are  two  or  three 
strong  sulphur  springs  which  were  thought  by  some  to  be  equal 
to  the  Bladon  Springs.  Before  the  war  this  was  a  noted  re- 
sort ;  it  is  now  practically  disused. 

MINERAL    EXTRACTS. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  proper  to  notice  certain  min- 
eral extracts  which  have  been  put  on  the  market  and  have  had 
considerable  sale  because  of  their  medicinal  value.  One  of 
the  first  of  these  to  come  into  notice  was  the  "Extract  of  acid 
Iron  earth."  This  was  made  from  the  dark-colored,  carbo- 
naceous, sandy,  pyritous  clays  of  the  Claiborne  formation  near 
Bladon  Springs,  by  drying  the  clay  under  shelter  for  some 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  291 

time,  during  which,  by  the  oxidation  of  the  pyrite  and  the  ac- 
tion of  the  decomposing  vegetable  matter,  sulphates  of  iron, 
alumina,  and  other  bases,  were  formed,  impregnating  the 
earthy  matter.  The  leacliings  of  this,  with  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible uniform  concentration,  were  put  up  into  bottles  and  placed 
on  the  market. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Fail,  in  the  same  county,  a  similar  ''Min- 
eral extract"  has  been  made  from  pyritous,  carbonaceous  clays 
of  the  Claiborne  formation. 

Of  late  the  "Extract  of  acid  Iron  earth,"  evaporated  to  dry- 
ness  and  the  solid  residue  pressed  into  tablets,  has  been  sold 
under  the  name  of  Natona. 

Springs  of  the  Buhrstone  and  Hatchetigbee  formations. 

The  Hatchetigbee  anticline  brings  to  the.  surface,  in  the 
southern  part  of  Choctaw  county,  a  narrow  strip  of  Hatche- 
tigbee clays  surrounded  by  the  materials  of  the  Buhrstone,  all 
having  a  northwest-southeast  trend.  In  this  area  in  Choctaw 
and  the  adjoining  parts  of  Washington  County  are  mineral 
springs,  gas  springs,  and  salt  well  almost  innumerable.  Only  a 
few  of  the  best  known  can  be  mentioned. 

BLADON    SPRINGS. 

The  most  important  of  the  springs  of  the  Hatchetigbee  are 
the  Bladon  Springs,  embracing  a  number  of  springs  which 
yield  different  kinds  of  water — sulphur,  soda,  vichy,  etc.  The 
chief  of  these  is  the  Bladon  Spring,  of  sulphur  water,  in  the  ex- 
treme northeast  corner,  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  Section  20,  Town- 
ship 9,  Range  2  W.  A  few  yards  away,  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  section,  is  the  vichy  spring,  close 
to  the  line  between  sections  20  and  21 ;  the  grounds  of  the 
springs  include  parts  of  both  sections. 

No  recent  analyses  of  the  waters  from  these  springs  are 
available,  but  the  following,  made  many  years  ago,  are  taken 
from  Crook's  "Mineral  Waters  of  the  United  States  and  their 
Therapeutic  Uses,"  page  86,  and  are  presented  in  their  original 
form. 


292  DETAILS:     COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analyses  of  Waters  from  Springs  at  Bladon  Springs,  Choctaw  County. 


One  U.  S.  Gallon 
contains; 


Solids. 


Total 


Gases 


Carbonic  acid    

Sulphuretted  hydrogen 
Chlorine    . 


R^S    .c 

£-Sj-§   S. 

O  Si       T3       <^ 


Sodium  carbonate    

46.33 

Magnesium  carbonate  

0.29 

Calcium    carbonate 

0  87 

Iron  carbonate   

0.49 

Calcium    sulphate 

2  25 

Iron  sulphate     

Sodium   chloride    

Strontia 

Silica     

Organic  matter  

2.26 

Crenic  acid 

Hypocrenic    acid    . 

52.49 


Total 


1.84 


41.21 
0.61 
2.14 
0.23 
2.79 


.90 


48.88 


Cubic  Cubic 
inches,  inches. 
65.44  59.20 


1.84 
61.04 


34.93 
0.65 


0.76 
2.96 


1.25 


42.97 

Cubic 
inches. 

52.88 
0.56 
1.84 


32.89 
1.36 
2. '<5 
0.02 

6. '24 
7.09 
0.32 
2.10 

6!?5 

O.'IO 

48.72 


Cubic 

inches. 

32.56 


55.28 


While  these  analyses  as  thus  stated,  do  not  accord  altogether 
with  modern  views,  they  possess  a  certain  historic  interest  and 
show  very  clearly  the  character  of  the  waters  as  being  alka- 
line carbonated  with  predominance  of  sodium ;  one  containing 
also  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 

Plate  XXIV"  shows  the  Hotel  and  the  pavilion  over  the  sul- 
phur springs  at  Bladon. 

Between  Bladon  and  Cullom,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 20,  Township  9,  Range  2  W.,  a  strong  chalybeate  spring 
issues  from  below  a  bluff  of  Hatechetigbee  clays.  South  of 
the  stores  and  post-office  at  Bladon  there  was  formerly  an 
alum  spring  and  close  by  an  alum  well,  both  being  now  dis- 
used and  filled  up. 

About  one  mile  from  Bladon,  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Section  29,  Township  8,-  Range  2  West,  are  the  Cullom  springs 
with  similar  variety  of  waters.  Plate  XXV  shows  the  Hotel  at 
Cullom  Springs.  .  , 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVKY   OF   ALABAMA.          UNDERGROUND   WATER   RESOURCES.      PLATE   XXIV 


A.    HOTEL  AT  BLADON  SPRINGS.  CHOCTAW  COUNTY. 


B.    PAVILION  OF  SULPHUR  SPRING.  BLADON  SPRINGS.  CHOCTAW  COUNTY. 


WATERS' OF  THS  TERTIARY  293 

Bladon  was  a  noted  resort  before  the  war  for  the  people 
of  Mobile  and  New  Orleans.  At  present,  although  both  Bla 
don  and  Cullom  are  well  fitted  for  the  accommodation  of 
guests,  the  number  of  visitors  is  relatively  small  because  of 
the  irregularity  in  the  running  of  the  boats  and  the  distance 
from  railroad  lines. 

SPRINGS    ALONG    TURKEY    CREEK. 

In  other  parts  of  the  Hatchetigbee  outcrop,  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding Buhrstone  northwest  of  Bladon  and  particularly 
along  the  several  branches  of  Turkey  Creek,  mineral  springs, 
gas  seeps,  and  sucks  or  licks  are  numerous  and  characteristic. 
Carbonate  of  soda  seems  to  be  a  very  constant  ingredient  of 
the  waters,  whether  sulphur  and  other  mineral  ingredients  are 
present  or  not.  Where  these  soda  springs  come  up  in  the 
creek  flats,  a  crust  is  sometimes  formed  which  is  firm  enough 
to  walk  on;  but  fissures  and  cracks  soon  develop,  the  crust 
breaks  up,  and  a  black  or  dark-colored  mud,  of  the  consistency 
of  mush,  oozes  out.  These  places  are  devoid  of  vegetation  and 
during  dry  weather  become  covered  by  an  efflorescence  of  car- 
bonate of  soda,  according  to  general  belief,  though  no  analysis 
has  as  yet  been  made  of  it.  This  deposit  is  extremely  attract- 
ive to  cattle  and  deer  and  thus  gives  rise  to  the  common  name 
"licks,"  or  "sucks."  It  is  often  necessary  to  fence  in  the  licks 
to  prevent  loss  of  cattle  by  miring  down  in  the  semi-liquid  mud. 

Dansby  Springs,  in  the  N.  E.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  9, 
Range  2  W.,  is  a  collection  of  iron,  sulphur,  and  soda  springs 
and  sucks.  At  Zeb  Taylor's  in  Section  14,  Township  9,  Range 
3  W.,  is  a  strong* sulphur  spring;  and  at  Zack  Rogers's,  in  Sec- 
tion 34,  Township  9,  Range  3  W.,  is  a  strong  chalbeate  spring, 
near  Conner's  Natona  bed  above  referred  to  (p.  291).  Ail 
these  are  on  Turkey  Creek  and  along  the  axis  of  the  Hatche- 
tigbee anticline. 

OTHER    SPRINGS. 

Further  north,  in  its  regular  place,  the  Hatchetigbee  is  again 
the  source  of  mineral  springs,  of  which  the  following  may  be 
noted : 

Chapman  Springs,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  S.  W.  quar- 
ter Section  36,  Township  13,  Range  3  W.,  about  3  miles  south- 


294  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

west  of  Butler;  strongly  chalybeate  water;  no  improvements. 

Walker  Spring,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section 
25,  Township  13,  Range  3  W.,  l1/^  miles  southwest  of  Butler; 
fine  chalybeate  spring ;  no  improvements. 

Another  spring,  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  N.  W.  quarter  Section 
14,  Township  13,  Range  3  W.,  is  not  now  used. 


Springs  of  the  Woods  Bluff  formation. 

BUTLER  AND    VICINITY. 

In  the  valley  of  Wahalock  Creek,  near  Butler,  are  several 
fine  springs  of  sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters,  locally  well 
known,  but  without  accommodations  for  guests. 

Scarlock  Springs,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  2,  Township 
12,  Range  2  W. ;  chalpbeate  water,  a  bold  stream. 

Jackson  Mineral  Spring,  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  S.  E.  quar- 
ter Section  4,  Township  13,  Range  2  W. ;  white  sulphur;  a 
strong  flow. 

Chalybeate  Spring,  in  the  S.  W.  Section  3,  Township  12, 
Range  2  W.,  near  the  bridge  over  Wahalock  Creek ;  has  strong 
taste  also  of  sulphur. 

Spangenburg  Iron  Spring,  in  the  city  of  Butler ;  also  issues 
from  the  Hatchetigbee. 

At  Pushmataha,  a  few  hundred  yards  north  of  the  negro 
church,  there  is  a  bold  chalybeate  spring  in  the  edge  of  a 
branch.  The  water  rises  in  the  "gum"  about  2  feet  above  the 
general  surface. 

Springs  of  the  Tuscahoma  formation. 

Eureka  or  Sharon  Springs  in  Section  33,  Township  15, 
Range  3  W. ;  white  sulphur. 

Springs  of  the  Nanafalia  formation. 

Rutledge  Spring,  in  Section  15,  Township  15,  Range  3  W. ; 

On  the  J.  A.  Watters  place,  half  a  mile  below  Gays  Landing, 
on  the  Choctaw  County  side,  a  great  volume  of  blue  water 
rushes  out  in  the  edge  of  the  river  and  the  clear  stream  can 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  2D5 

be  traced  for  a  long  distance  sharply  denned  against  the  gen- 
erally turbid  river  water.  This  stream  issues  from  the  Nana- 
falia  marl  beds  which  there  form  the  banks  of  the  river. 

Springs  of  the  Naheola  formation. 

Ashford  Springs,  in  the  E.  half  S.  W.  quarter  Section  15, 
Township  15,  Range  2  W. ;  once  celebrated  resort  for  the 
wealthy  planters  of  Sumter  and  Choctaw  counties ;  now  in  de- 
cay, with  nothing  to  mark  the  former  importance  of  the  place 
except  the  marble  basin  of  the  spring.  One  of  the  springs 
here  is  a  white  sulphur,  one  a  sulphur-chalybeate  and  one 
a  vichy. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

While  the  number  of  artesian  wells  in  Choctaw  County  may 
be  counted  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand,  success  should  follow 
deep  borings  in  almost  every  part  of  the  county.  This  is  ren- 
dered practically  certain  by  the  experience  in  the  adjoining 
county  in  Mississippi,  where  there  are  many  artesian  wells  ob- 
taining their  water  in  the  Hatchetigbee  sands  and  the  lower 
Claiborne  beds. 

CULLOM    SPRINGS. 

The  most  instructive  boring  made  in  Choctaw  County  is  at 
Cullom  Springs,  near  Bladon.  This  was  started  in  1884  and 
finished  in  1885  by  Captain  Trowbridge  who  was  seeking  pe- 
troleum. The  surface  rocks  are  probably  the  uppermost  strata 
of  the  Hatchetigbee.  The  boring  penetrated  the  underlying 
Tertiary  beds  and  the  Ripley  and,  as  the  record  is  interpreted, 
about  125  feet  into  the  Selma  chalk.  While  it  is  impossible 
to  identify  with  certainty  the  beds  penetrated  by  this  boring, 
yet  there  are  several  points  which  seem  to  be  pretty  well  de- 
termined. Thus  in  the  lower  part  of  the  boring  the  black  or 
dark-blue  clays  of  the  Sucarnochee  seem  to  be  unmistakably 
shown  as  well  as  the  clayey  sands  with  shells'  of  the  Ripley 
and  the  125  feet  of  uniform  blue  rock  of  the  Selma  chalk  at 
the  base. 

The  whole  depth  of  the  boring  is  1345  feet  and  the  record 
obtained  from  Captain  Trowbridge  is  as  follows : 


296  •         DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Record  of  Cullom  Springs  'boring. 


Material.  Thickness.    Depth. 

Feet.    ±>  eet. 

Loose  surface  materials,  varying  slightly  in  color  and  texture    80  80 

Alternations    of   blue   and   sandy    marl    (clay),    with   indurated 

blue  ledge  5  feet  thick  at  base   81  161 

Soft  clayey   marl 23  184 

Greensand,   with   shells,  3  feet,   followed  by  22  feet  alternating 

hard   and   soft   beds,    the    latter   fossiliferous   and   water 

bearing   25  £09 

Marls  or  blue  clays 46  2c5 

Brown  and  blue  marls  (clavs)  in  many  alternations  (lignitic?). .     21  2<<j 

Blue1  marls  or  clays,  with  2  feet  of  greensaiid  at  base 61  337 

Lignite,  5  feet,  followed  by  19  feet  of  brown,  tough  marl  (clay)    24  361 

Blue  sandy  marl,   with  many  varieties  of  shells;   Venericardia 

planicosta    recognized     23  384 

Blue,   sandy   marl   (clay) 58  442 

Brown  marl  (clay),  5  feet,   with  32  feet  blue  marl  below 37  479 

Greensand  marl,  9  feet,  followed  by  37  feet  of  blue  marl  (clay); 

at  500  feet  water  was  struck,  which  flowed  10  feet  above 

the   surface    46  525 

Brown  clay  marl,  19  feet,  followed  by  15  feet  of  blue  clay  with 

greensand,    containing    shells    34  559 

Brown  marl,  resembling  soapstone;  contains  shells;   stream  of 

water   near   bottom  which   flowed  30   feet  above   surface    50  609 

Gray  sandy  marl,  with  shells 15  624 

Gray  sandy  marl,  with  shells;  more  clayey  than  preceding 64  688 

Very  tough  blue  marl  (clay),  at  base  of  which  is  a  thin  layer 

of  white  sand   and  then   a  thin   layer  of  greensand   71  759 

Brown    marl    (clay),    5    feet,    followed    by    alternating   beds    of 

clay  and  sand,  mostly  sand  (first  salt  water)   20  779 

Alternations  of  gray  and  brown  sand,  with  marl  (clay)   26  805 

Tough   blue   marl    (big   vein    of   salt   water)    13  *18 

Sand    and    clay    alternaFmg    14  832 

A  kind  of  white  limestone  (?)  containing  mica,   passing  below 

into  3  feet  of  blue  sandy  marl,  containing  shells    28  860 

Blue   marl    (Clay),   14   feet,    followed   by   14    feet   of   blue   marl 

and    sand,    numerous    shells    '. 28  888 

Marl  12  feet,  with  streaks  of  sand,  followed  by  brown  sand  and 

marl,     12     feet     24  912 

Greenish  rock,  chalky  above,  hard  below  11 

Sandstone,  4  feet,  followed  by  25  feet  of  white,  blue,  and  gray 

quicksand    (strong   stream    of    salt   water) 29  952 

Marls   or   clays,    mostly  grayish   or   light   brown,    with    several 

ledges  of  extremely  hard  rock,  e.  g,  one  2  feet  thick  at 

966  feet,   one  1  foot  thick  at  971  feet,   one  3  inches  thick 

at  978  feet,  one  1  foot  thick  at  1000  feet   137  1089 

Tough  black  clay,  2  feet,  followed  by  99  feet  of  dark  blue  clay, 

some   of   it   quite   hard   and   firm,    some   very   soft   and 

sticky    t , 101  1190 

Snuff-colored   clay,   soft  and  sticky    13          1203 

Gray  sand  and  shells,  12  feet,  followed  by  5  feet  of  soft  sandy 

clay    I?  1220 

Hard   ledge,    4   inches    thick    at   top.    below    which    are    about 

125  feet  of  moderately  hard  grayish   or  blue  rock,   Wn.h 

scarcely  any  change  in  color  or  texture,   to   oottom  of 

boring;    no    shells    observed;    "Rotten    limestone" 125          1345 


The  following  additional  notes  regarding  this  well  may  be 
of  interest:  At  80  feet  water  was  struck,  but  it  did  not  over- 
flow. At  200  feet  there  was  a  bold  stream  of  mineral  (vichy) 
water,  which  overflowed.  At  400  feet  another  strong  stream 
of  mineral  water,  like  the  preceding.  At  1,000  feet  a  stream 


WATERS  OF  THE)  TERTIARY  297 

of  salt  water  with  inflammable  gas  was  struck.  The  present 
flow  combines  the  streams  at  200,  400,  and  1,000  feet.  The 
water  is  decidedly  salty,  and  has  a  temperature  of  83°.  The 
gas  collects  in  bubbles  or  in  a  foam  on  the  surface  of  the  water 
in  the  tank  into  which  the  stream  flows.  A  lighted  match 
touched  to  this  foam  ignites  the  gas,  which  burns  over  the 
surface  of  the  water  for  some  minutes,  unless  extinguished  by 
accidental  splash.  The  gas  may  also  be  ignited  at  the  spout, 
where  it  burns  with  a  flame  6  or  8  inches  high.  The  estimated 
flow  is  10  to  15  gallons  per  minute.  Plate  XXVI  shows  the 
house  enclosing  this  well  and  through  the  open  door  the  stream 
may  be  discerned.  The  quality  of  the  water  is  shown  in  the 
accompanying  analysis,  by  Mr.  Hodges : 

Analysis  of  Ciillom  Springs  ivater. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    21.0 

Sodium    (Na)    4043.0 

Magnesium     (Mg)     35.3 

Calcium     (Ca)     74.9 

Iron  and  alumina   (FeoO3,   A12O3)    3.8 

Chlorine    (Cl)     6098.9 

Sulphuric   acid    (SO4)    trace 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     457.5 

Silica   (SiO2)    9.9 

10744.3 


BUTLER. 

Well  in  court-house  yard,  depth,  600  feet;  water  stands  at 
-30  feet;  temperature,  77°.  No 'record  obtainable.  Butler  is 
on  the  Woods  Bluff  formation,  and  at  the  depth  of  600  feet 
the  boring  is  probably  in  the  Naheola  sands,  or  possibly  no 
deeper  than  the  Nanafalia. 


WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

In  the  northeast  corner  of  Washington  County,  by  reason 
of  the  anticlinal  uplift  already  mentioned  under  Choctaw 
County,  the  Tertiary  strata  down  to  the  Hatchetigbee  are 
brought  to  the  surface.  In  the  rest  of  the  county  the  only 


298  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Eocene  formation  occurring  at  the  surface  is  the  St.  Stephens 
limestone.  Over  the  greater  part  of  the  territory  of  the  latter 
is  spread  a  later  formation,  the  Grand  Gulf,  which,  together 
with  the  Lafayette,  is  responsible  for  the  soils  and  much  of 
the  topography,  and  in  still  greater  degree  for  the  shallow 
waters.  Where  the  loams  and  sands  of  the  Lafayette  are  the 
surface  materials  there  is  always  an  abundant  supply  of  the 
very  best  water  in  springs  and  open  wells.  Where  the  lime- 
stone is  the  surface  formation  the  water  conditions  are  not  so 
favorable,  but  it  must  be  remarked  that  in  most  of  the  St. 
Stephens  area  the  two  capping  formations  are  present. 

MINERAL  SPKINGS. 
Springs  in  the  Hatchetigbee  formation. 

The  outcrop  of  Hatchetigbee  clays  and  sands,  with  their  in- 
closing Buhrstone  strata,  caused  by  the  anticlinal  uplift,  is  the 
source  of  numerous  mineral  springs  in  Washington  county,  as 
it  is  in  Choctaw  County  adjoining. 

The  salt  springs  or  oozes  will  be  more  particularly  described 
below  in  connection  with  the  artesian  borings  made  in  search 
of  brine  for  salt  manufacture.  The  other  mineral  springs  of 
the  Hatchetigbee  anticline  comprise  sulphur,  soda,  and  iron 
waters,  in  most  of  which  there  is  more  or  less  natural  gas. 

In  the  palmetto  flats  of  an  affluent  of  Santa  Bogue  Creek, 
in  the  N.  W.  quarter  N.  E.  quarter  Section  9,  Township  8, 
Range  2  W.,  is  Sanderson's  spring,  at  which  there  has  been  a 
slight  effort  at  improvement  by  providing  a  box.  The  water 
here  has  a  soft,  alkaline  taste,  with  a  suspicion  of  sulphur.  In 
the  sloughs  or  abandoned  channels  of  the  creek  near  by  are 
many  other  similar  springs,  not  at  all  improved  but  of  a  de- 
cided mineral  character.  In  all  of  them  bubbles  of  natural  gas 
are  constantly  rising.  Higher  up  the  creek,  at  John  Long's 
place  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  Section  6,  Township  8,  Range  2  W., 
there  is  a  mineral  spring  similar  to  the  vichy  spring  at  Cul- 
lom,  said  to  contain  carbonate  of  soda  and  some  sulphur. 

Farther  down,  near  Santa  Bogue,  is  Salt  Pond,  formerly  a 
beaver  pond,  receiving  the  streams  from  several  salt  wells  in 
the  vicinity.  The  dam  has  been  cut  and  the  pond  drained 
away,  and  the  place  is  now  of  the  nature  of  a  suck  or  lick,  a 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY   OF   ALABAMA.         UNDERGROUND   WATER   RESOURCES,    PLATE   XXVII. 


A.    MOUND  SPRING  AT  HEALING  SPRINGS,  WASHINGTON  COUNTY 


B.    CREEK  SPRING  AT  HEALING  SPRINGS,  WASHINGTON  COUNTY 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  299 

spot  bare  of  vegetation,  an  acre  or  two  in  extent,  and  covered 
in  dry  weather,  according  to  popular  belief,  by  an  efflorescence 
of  carbonate  of  soda.  In  the  midst  of  this  area  there  seems  to 
be  an  ooze  of  soft  or  semiliquid  mud  of  black  or  dark  color, 
over  which  at  times  a  crust  forms  that  is  firm  enough  to  bear 
the  weight  of  a  man,  but  trembles  under  foot.  Cracks  and  fis- 
sures gradually  develop  in  this  crust  and  it  breaks  up,  letting 
out  the  black  mud.  Cattle  and  deer  are  fond  of  the  soda  salt 
that  accumulates  on  the  surface  of  these  sucks  and  it  is  nec- 
essary to  fence  them  in,  as  the  cattle  mire  down  in  them. 

As  in  Choctaw  County,  carbonate  of  soda  seems  to  be  a 
characteristic  ingredient  of  the  mineral  waters  of  the  Hatche- 
tigbee  anticline,  whether  or  not  sulphur  and  iron  are  also 
present. 

Springs  of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation. 

The  Grand  Gulf  formation  in  most  of  the  region  of  its  oc- 
currence, both  in  Mississippi  and  Alabama,  is  the  source  of  nu- 
merous mineral  springs,  especially  of  such  as  are  charged  with 
the  salts  of  magnesium  and  with  iron.  The  percentage  of  these 
dissolved  salts  is  often  small,  however,  as  may  be  seen  from 
the  analyses  given  below. 

HEALING   SPRINGS. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county,  near  the  inland  mar- 
gin of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation,  are  the  Healing  Springs, 
on  a  branch  of  Santa  Bogue  Creek.  The  springs,  17  in  num- 
ber, occur  iii  the  low  grounds  and  marshy  spots  along  the 
stream.  The  water  is  under  a  slight  hydrostatic  pressure 
which  causes  it  to  rise  a  few  feet  above  the  general  level  of 
the  stream  when  confined  by  boxing  or  by  pipes.  The  water 
is  remarkably  clear  and  pleasant  to  the  taste  ;  it  contains  a  small 
proportion  of  dissolved  solids,  but  these  are  in  combinations 
which  probably  give  them  their  therapeutic  value.  The  analy- 
ses of  the  water,  from  four  of  the  springs,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  will 
show  clearly  the  nature  of  the  water.  The  situation  of  the 
springs,  in  the  midst  of  a  forest ^of  yellow  pine,  is  a  distinct  ad- 
vantage to  the  seeker  for  health". 


300  DKTA1LS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Analyses  of  Healing  Springs  waters. 


Potassium   (lv) 

PJ 

No.  1 
16 

irts  per 
No.  2 
1.5 
2.6 
2.0 
9.2 
4.9 
3.5 
8.9 
31.7 
27.1 

million. 
No.  3 
1.9 
3.4 
1.9 
8.1 
5.5 
3.5 
9.8 
29.3 
29.1 

No.  4 
1.9 
:J.3 
1.4 
5.2 
4.1 

9.6 
13.8 
26.6 

Sodium    (Na)    

2.2 
1   9 

Calcium     (Ca)                                       .  .   . 

8  5 

Iron    and    alumina    (FejOs,    Al2Os)... 
Chlorine    (Cl) 

4.9 

3  5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO.t) 

11.5 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)    

23.3 

Silica    (SiO»)     . 

28.8 

86.2  91.4  92.5  68.4 

No.  1.     Mound  Spring. 
No.  2.     Creek  Spring. 
No.  3.     Scholes  Spring. 
No.  4.     McCartney  Spring. 


ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 
OLD  SALT  WELLS. 

Within  the  area  of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  and  especially 
along  the  southern  border  of  the  Hatchetigbee  auticline,  a  very 
large  number  of  borings  have  been  made,  most  of  them  before 
the  civil  war,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  brine  for  the  manu- 
facture of  salt.  These  salt  wells  are  most  abundant  in  Wash- 
ington County  in  the  palmetto  flats  bordering  Salt  Creek  and 
the  tributaries  of  Tauler  Creek,  generally  within  a  mile  from 
Tombigbee  River  and  in  a  strip  extending  nearly  parallel  with 
its  course  from  a  mile  or  two  above  old  St.  Stephens  nearly  to 
Frankville.  The  wells  have  been  bored  to  depths  varying  from 
150  to  400  feet,  and  in  one  instance  the  depth  has  been  given  as 
800  feet,  in  the  case  of  a  well  at  the  Morgan  Salt  Works.  At 
the  Bucksnort  Salt  Works,  near  Peevy's  Landing,  according 
to  Mr.  Coleman,  the  deepest  well  was  370  feet  and  the  majority 
of  them  about  250  feet.  At  about  100  feet  salt  water  was 
usually  struck,  but  the  brine  was  weaker  than  that  obtained 
at  a  greater  depth. 

In  many  places  the  salt  water  has  been  obtained  by  inclosing 
a  space  8  or  10  feet  square  by  driving  down  piling  of  2-inch 
boards,  and  then  digging  out  the  dirt  from  the  interior,  when 
the  salt  water  would  gradually  fill  the  shafts.  The  dug  wells 
were,  of  course,  located  on  the  spots  where  the  salt  water  oozed 
from  the  ground.  The  brine  from  the  dug  wells  is  reported 
to  be  relatively  weak. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  TERTIARY  301 

A  story  vouched  for  by  a  number  of  witnesses  is  to  the  ef- 
fect that  during  the  boring  of  one  of  the  wells  on  Salt  Creek 
there  was  a  great  explosion  or  "blow-out"  of  gas,  which  tore 
up  the  casing  and  made  a  noise  which  was  heard  for  miles. 
With  the  explosion  came  a  great  rush  of  gas  which  caught 
fire  from  a  camp  near  by  and  striking  back  to  the  well  set  fire 
to  the  derrick,  consuming  It. 

All  the  wells  on  the  Washington  County  side  of  the  Tom- 
bigbee  seem  to  be  located  on  the  strata  of  the  Claiborne  forma- 
tion (upper  or  lower),  and  to  penetrate  into  the  Hatchetigbee 
beds,  except  of  course  the  shallow  dug  wells,  which  do  not  go 
deeper  than  25  or  30  feet.  The  hills  bordering  all  the  salt 
flats  seen  by  the  writer  were  of  the  St.  Stephens  limestone,  and 
rocks  of  the  nature  of  the  radiolarian  clay  stones  so  character- 
istic of  the  lower  Claiborne  or  Buhrstone  were  noticed  in  many 
instances  close  to  the  well,  with  apparently  hardly  space  enough 
for  the  upper  Claiborne  strata  to  come  between  them  and  the 
white  limestone.  About  the  Bucksnort  Works,  near  Peevy's 
Landing,  however,  the  upper  Claiborne  beds  are  well  exhibit- 
ed along  the  road  leading  down  to  the  river. 

Most  of  the  salt  wells  of  this  county  and  of  Clarke  County, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  yield  a  small  amount  of  na- 
tural gas  with  the  brine,  and  many  of  the  weaker  brines  are 
also  strongly  charged  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  These 
circumstances  have  led  recently  to  the  boring  of  a  number  of 
deep  wells  in  this  section  in  search  of  petroleum.  Several  of 
these  borings  were  made  along1  the  reef  of  rock  which  forms 
the  McGrew  Shoals,  above  St.  Stephens.  It  is  stated  that  many 
years  ago,  when  a  blast  was  made  in  this  reef  to  clear  the  shoals 
for  navigation,  oil  came  out  of  the  rock  upon  the  surface  of  the 
water  in  the  river  and  was  ignited  and  burned  there  for  some 
time.  This  statement  was  made  in  a  newspaper  at  the  time 
of  the  occurrence.  Several  recent  borings  have  been  made  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  in  this  vicinity. 

ST.   STEPHENS. 

Concerning  the  borings  of  the  Washington  County  side,  a 
few  notes  have  been  obtained  from  Mr.  B.  D.  Turner  and  from 
Mr.  James  Keoughan,  the  contractor: 


302  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

St.  Stephen's  Oil  Company's  well,  in  Section  27,  Township 
7,  Range  1  W.,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  old  Spanish 
grant  known  as  the  John  McGrew  tract,  about  1,600  feet 
from  the  oil  landing  on  Tombigbee  River,  above  St.  Stephens ; 
bored  in  1902;  depth,  2006  feet;  casing,  700  feet,  8-inch.  No 
accurate  log  of  this  boring  was  kept  and  the  following  notes 
are  from  memory.  At  the  depth  of  250  feet,  salt  water  and 
gas  (Turner),  below  which  was  a  very  hard  layer  of  "Buhr- 
stone"  rock  5  feet  thick.  Below  this  to  1,250  feet,  alternations 
of  hard  ledges  and  sands  with  salt  water  and  inflammable  gas. 
At  730  feet  a  heavy  flow  of  fresh  water  in  white  sand 
(Keoughan).  A  heavy  flow  of  salt  water  and  gas  was  noted 
by  Captain  Keoughan  between  750  and  800  feet.  At  1,250 
feet,  according  to  Mr.  Turner,  the  fluid  from  the  boring 
changed  from  lead  color  to  black,  probably  because  of  a  bed 
of.  lignitic  matter.  Below  this  to  the  bottom  of  the  well  were 
750  feet  of  dark-blue  sand  and  blue  shale. 

The  St.  Stephens  limestone  lies  on  the  hills  about  this  well, 
which  is  in  one  of  the  palmetto  flats  bordering  a  small  stream 
emptying  into  the  river  close  by.  The  mouth  of  the  well  ap- 
pears thus  to  be  in  the  Claiborne  strata  close  below  the  base 
of  the  St.  Stephens.  The  salt  water  at  the  depth  of  nearly  800 
feet  would  appear  to  be  from  strata  below  the  Hatchetigbee 
which  has  generally  been  considered  the  main  reservoir  of  the 
salt  waters,  and  certainly  is  for  many  of  them.  The  bottom 
of  this  boring  is  probably  in  the  Cretaceous  limestone. 


MOBILE  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

The  geologic  formations  which  show  at  the  surface  in  Mo- 
bile County  are  the  Grand  Gulf  and  Lafayette,  with  the  later, 
comparatively  recent  lowland  formations  or  bottom  lands  of 
the  rivers  and  creeks. 

The  St.  Stephens  limestone  passes  below  the  Grand  Gulf  for- 
mation in  the  upper  part  of  Washington  County  and  is  not 
see  at  all  in  Mobile  County.  The  existence,  however,  of  ma- 
rine Miocene  strata  far  below  the  surface  in  the  latitude  of 
the  city  of  Mobile  is  proved  by  the  shells  brought  up  from 


WATERS  OF  THE:  TERTIARY  303 

the  deep  wells  bored  in  several  parts  of  the  city,  which  will  be 
referred  to  later.  None  of  the  borings  as  yet  recorded  has 
gone  down  into  the  St.  Stephens  limestone. 

The  most  prominent  topographic  feature  of  Mobile  County 
in  s'ome  respects  is  the  Citronelle-Springhill  ridge,-  the  water- 
shed between  Mobile  and  Dog  rivers.  This  ridge,  with  con- 
stantly diminishing  altitude,  extends  down  to  within  2  or  3 
miles  of  the  Gulf.  At  Citronelle  its  altitude  at  the  railroad 
station  is  333  feet,  while  elevations  on  both  side  of  the  road 
are  as  much  as  30  feet  higher;  at  Springhill,  6  miles  west  of 
Mobile,  it  is  216  feet;  and  at  St.  Elmo  station,  on  the  Louis- 
ville and  Nashville  Railroad,  it  is  130  feet  in  a  cut  of  30  feet, 
making  the  land  surface  160  feet  above  tide. 

The  width  of  the  ridge  varies  as  the  headwaters  of  the  sev- 
eral branches  of  the  two  drainage  systems  approach  or  recede 
from  the  central  line  of  the  divide,  being  in  some  palces  a 
mere  "backbone,"  in  others  a  plateau  a  mile  or  two  in  width. 
From  this  divide  there  is  a  gentle  descent  into  the  broad  "sec- 
ond bottoms"  of  Mobile  River  on  one  side  and  of  Dog  River 
on  the  other. 

Away  from  the  level  lands  capped  with  the  Lafayette  loam 
and  pebbles,  the  clayey  sands  of  the  Grand  Gulf  are  everywhere 
the  surface  strata  except  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  coast  and 
streams.  Wherever  this  is  the  case  in  Mobile,  Washington, 
Baldwin,  and  Escambia  counties,  and  probably  elsewhere,  the 
generally  level  surface  is  marked  by  numerous  shallow  depres- 
sions which  are  filled  with  water  in  wet  seasons,  becoming 
ponds  or  marshes,  or,  where  not  too  wet,  meadows  or  savan- 
nahs. 

Where  the  Lafayette  is  the  surface  formation  an  abundance 
of  the  best  freestone  water  is  obtained  from  open  wells  or 
from  springs  which  break  out  along  the  hillsides  at  the  con- 
tact of  the  Lafayette  with  the  underlying  Grand  Gulf  beds. 
Most  of  the  streams  flowing  away  from  the  Citronelle  ridge 
have  their  headwaters  in  such  springs  or  oozes  frOm  the  La- 
fayette sands.  Some  of  these  springs  are  celebrated,  such  as 
that  at  the  Jesuit  college  at  Springhill;  others  are  less  well 
known,  but  quite  as  fine.  On  account  of  the  pure  water  and 
fresh  air,  Springhill  is  much  visited  by  the  citizens  of  Mobile, 
many  of  whom  have  their  residences  there. 


304  DF;TAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 
CITRON  ELLE. 

In  the  territory  of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation,  i.  e.,  in  the 
lower-lying  lands  from  which  the  Lafayette  capping  has  been 
removed  by  erosion,  the  water  conditions  are  rather  unfavor- 
able, for  while  an  abundant  supply  can  usually  be  obtained  by 
boring  through  the  superficial  layers  into  the  underlying  clays, 
yet  it  is  often  charged  with  mineral  matter  and  objectionable 
to  the  taste.  Frequently  these  waters  break  through  the  sur- 
face layers  forming  bold  springs,  often  mineral  springs.  Of 
such  character  is  the  Cherokee  or  Wedgeworth  Spring,  2  or 
3  miles  east  of  Citronelle,  but  many  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
ridge.  This  is  a  strong  chalybeate  and  sulphur  water,  as  is 
shown  in  the  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges,  given  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Cherokee  Spring,  3  miles  east  of  Citronelle. 


Potassium    (K)       

Parts  per  million. 
9 

Sodium    (Na)    

4.0 

Magnesium  (Mg) 

1  i 

Calcium   (Ca)                 .            

3  0 

Iron    (Pe)      

12.6 

Alumina    (AlgOs) 

8 

Chlorine   (Cl) 

3.5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)        

2.1 

Carbonic    acid    (HCOg) 

45  6 

Silica  (SiO£) 

17.9 

91.5 


SPRINGS    NEAR   THE    COAST. 

In  the  flat  lands  near  the  coast  there  are  many  mineral 
springs  and  some  of  the  wells  in  the  same  section,  both  shallow 
and  artesian,  yield  similar  water. 

Bromberg's  springs  — Near  Bayou  Labatre,  on  the  land  of 
F.  G.  Bromberg,  of  Mobilfe,  are  several  springs  of  clear,  cool 
water,  some  of  them  almost  on  the  banks  of  the  bayou.  The 
following  analysis,  by  Mr.  Hodges,  is  of  the  water  from  one 
of  these  springs : 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  305 

Analysis  of  water  from  Bromberg's  spring  No.  1,  near  Bayou  Labatre. 


Parts  per  million 

Potassium    (K)    1.7 

Sodium    (Na)    3.7 

Magnesium    (Mg)    .9 

Calcium   (Ca)    .6 

Iron    (Fe)    2.3 

Chlorine   (Cl)    12.7 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  1.4 

Silica    (SiOa) 6.4 


29.7 


It  is  rarely  that  an  analysis  shows  so  small  proportion  of  dis- 
solved solids..  From  this  point  of  view  the  water  would  be 
called  remarkably  pure,  and  its  color  and  taste  bear  out  this 
inference. 

Another  of  these  spring  waters  has  been  analyzed  by  the 
National  Brewers'  Academy  and  Consulting  Bureau  of  New 
York,*  as  follows : 

Analysis  of  icater  from  Bromberg's  spring  No.  2,  near  Bayou  Labatre. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    5.10 

Potassium    (K)    32 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.25 

Calcium   (Ca)    :.        1.15 

Chlorine    (Cl)    9.27 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4) 2.18 

Carbonic   acid   (HCO3)    15.08 

Iron    (Fe)    88 

Lithium    (Li)    13 

Organic  carbon  .48 

Silica   (SiO2)    6.08 


41. £ 


The  analyses  show  these  two  waters  to  differ  very  material- 
ly. In  the  first  the  salts  are  chlorides  only,  with  the  exception 
of  a  small  amount  of  sulphate  of  iron ;  in  the  second  the  salts 
are  chlorides,  sulphates,  and  carbonates.  In  both,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  salts  of  magnesium  and  iron  and  common  salt  pre- 
dominate. 

*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations: recomputed  to  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U. 
S.  Geological  Survey. 

20 


306  DKTAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Grand  Bay. — Of  somewhat  similar  character  to  the  water 
from  Bromberg's  spring  No.  2  is  that  from  a  shallow  well  in 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  S.  half  N.  E.  quarter  Section  6, 
Township  7,  Range  3W.,  on  land  belonging  to  John  W.  Bright, 
of  Grand  Bay.  This  is  a  well  bored  with  .an  auger,  21  feet 
deep,  curbed  with  plank  and  admitting  a  bucket  6  inches  in 
diameter ;  it  yields  50  gallons,  and  after  an  interval  of  12  hours 
the  water  is  up  to  the  original  stand.  On  account  of  its  taste 
and  the  fact  that  it  stained  vessels  in  which  it  stood,  it  was 
thought  to  have  medicinal  value.  It  is  a  strong  chalybeate 
water,  as  the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges  shows : 

Analysis  of  water  from  John  W.  Bright1  s  well.  Grand  Bay. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    2.4 

Sodium  (Na)  26.5 

Magnesium   (Mg)    .2 

Calcium   (Ca) 4.1 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3)   24.4 

Chlorine    (Cl)    J«i.3 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO*)  1.4 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    42.1 

Silica   (SiOa)    35.0 

164.4 


SPRINGS  ABOUT  MOBILE  BAY. 


Along  the  Mobile  terrace  and  in  other  low  grounds  about 
Mobile  Bay  a  plentiful  supply  of  water  can  commonly  be  ob- 
tained by  driving  tubes  down  to  depths  of  75  feet  or  more, 
but  the  character  of  the  water  varies  with  the  locality.  On 
the  river  front,  according  to  Mr.  N.  K.  Ludlow,  extremely 
salty  water  was  obtained  at  a  depth  of  40  feet,  while  at  75  feet 
in  the  same  locality  the  water  was  free  from  salt  and  good  for 
all  uses.  At  the  light-house  and  also  immediately  Opposite  the 
city  of  Mobile  a  pipe  driven  to  the  depth  of  150  feet  yielded 
only  clear  salt  water.  At  the  light-house  the  water  rose  in 
the  tube  to  within  18  inches  of  the  top:  The  strata  passed 
through  were,  first,  a  river-mud  deposit,  then  a  hard  blue  clay, 
with  sand  below  it;  at  150  feet  a  hard  rock  was  encountered 
and  through  which  it  was  impossible  to  drive  the  tube.  Mr. 
Ludlow  is  of  the  opinion,  based  on  his  personal  experience,  that 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  307 

it  is  impossible  by  any  ordinary  hand  or  steam  pump  to  ex- 
haust the  water  from  a  driven  well  properly  put  down  in  this 
section. 

These  waters  probably  all  come  from  the  comparatively  re- 
cent deposits  overlying  the  Lafayette  and  Grand  Gulf  along 
the  terraces  of  streams  and  the  Gulf  or  Bay. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Experience  of  recent  years  has  shown  that  artesian  water 
can  be  had  in  most  parts  of  the  county  where  the  elevation  is 
not  too  great.  These  later  borings  have  demonstrated  the 
fact,  heretofore  unknown,  that  a  great  thickness  of  marine 
Tertiary  deposits,  of  Miocene  and  later  age,  underlies  the  lower 
half  and  in  all  probability  the  whole  of  the  county.  The  bor- 
ings also  demonstrate  the  fact,  which  can  easily  be  verified  by 
any  one  who  will  drive  a  few  miles  around  the  city  of  Mobile, 
that  the  deposits  which  have  for  many  years  been  recognized 
by  the  geologists  of  the  Gulf  coast  as  Grand  Gulf  overlie  all 
these  later  Tertiary  beds,  even  down  to  the  waters  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  In  Baldwin  County  this  evidence  is  even  more 
convincingly  presented  in  the  easily  recognized  Grand  Gulf 
exposures  in  high  bluffs  overlooking  the  waters  of  Mobile 
and  Perdido  bays. 

In  many  of  these  waters  the  proportion  of  salt  is  high,  but 
in  others  it  is  not  so  great  as  to  unfit  them  for  ordinary  uses. 

MOBILE   AND   VICINITY. 

Well  at  Mobile  Brewery,  Corner  of  Water  and  Adams  streets,  500  yards 
from  river  front;  depth,  800  feet;  bored  by  Elder  Hydraulic  Boring  Com- 
pany in  December,  1894.  This  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  artesian  wells 
in  this  county.  After  passing  through  a  deposit  of  the  "second  bottom1' 
or  terrace  formation,  including  probably  the  Lafayette,  the  boring  goes 
through  beds  which  can  be  identified  only  with  the  Grand  Gulf,  into 
shell-bearing  strata  which  are  shown  by  well-preserved  fossils  to  be  of 
late  Tertiary  age.  Record  furnished  by  Dr.  Charles  Mohr. 


308  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

Record   of  Mobile  Brewery   well. 


.  Depth,  (feet) 
Coarse,  sharp-edged  sand,  with  siliceous  pebbles  and  fragments  of 

oyster  shells  UO 

Fine  sand  1'JU 

Coarse  gravel  of  siliceous  pebbles  and  coarse  sand,  with  lignitized 

coniferous  wood  130 

Muddy  sand;  water  highly  charged  with  bluish-green  argillaceous 

matter  .' 300 

As  above,  more  compact,  sandy  particles  somewhat  finer  and  plastic  450 

Of  the  same  muddy  nature,  compactness  increasing 4DO 

Arenaceous  sediment  in  the  blue  still  finer,  more  plastic;  dL.cult 

boring  580 

Sediment  still  more  plastic,  very  fine,  soft  and  velvety  tj^o 

Material  remains  unchanged  660 

Stratum  of  indurated  clay,  with  some  coarse  sand,  abounding  in 

small  bivalves ;  small  flow  of  water 700 


After  penetrating  the  clay  about  30  feet  a  heavy  stream  of  water  was 
struck,  with  a  discharge  estimated  at  not  less  than  300  gallons  per  min- 
ute, under  heavy  pressure,  bringing  up  pebbles  of  large  size,  indurated 
clay  nodules.  The  material  resembles  the  shingle  of  a  beach.  Also  an 
abundance  of  coarse  black  sand  (with  magnetic  iron  ore).  Two  days 
later  the  flow  of  water  had  increased  to  500  gallons  per  minute,  and  was 
about  clear  of  sand. 


Well  of  the  Mobile  Electric  Lighting  Company,  bore  in  1906.  Depth, 
650  feet;  diameter.  8  inches;  flows  a  large  volume  of  water  of  brownish 
color  and  slightly  brackish  taste,  accompanied  by  a  little  inflammable  gas. 

Well  at  the  oil  mill,  3  miles  north  of  Mobile;  depth,  about  800  feet: 
record  similar  to  that  of  the  Brewery  well,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained. 
The  water  from  this  well  is  salty  and  accompanied  by  a  considerable 
amount  of  marsh  gas.  The  following  analysis  of  the  water  was  mane 
by  James  Boyce,  chief  chemist  of  the  American  Cotton  Oil  Company.* 

Analysis  of  water  from  Cotton  Oil  Mill  Company's  ivell,  3  miles  north 

of  Mobile. 


Parts  per  million. 

Sodium    (Na)    1135.52 

Potassium    (K) 15.74 

Magnesium     (Mg)     7.40 

Calcium   (Ca)    15.10 

Chlorine    (CD     1440.44 

Carbonic  acid   (CO3)    281.30 

Silica  (Sitia)   19.20 

Organic    matter     178.30 

3,093.00 


*Expressed  by  analyst  in  grains  per  gallon  and  hypothetical  com- 
binations: recomputed  in  ionic  form  and  parts  per  million  at  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY 


309 


Wells  of  Blacksher  Lumber  Company,  at  Magazine,  three  miles  north  of 
Mobile  at  the  mouth  of  Chickasabogue  creek.  Bored  by  J.  A.  Joullian 
in  1906. 

No.  1.  Depth,  250  feet;  diameter,  3-inches;  flow  75  gallons  per  minute. 
The  water  being  intended  for  boiler  use  was  analy.ed  and  found  to 
contain  considerable  quantities  of  the  sulphates  of  sodium  and  potas- 
sium and  practically  no  iron.  It  is  highly  prized  both  for  drinking  and 
for  use  in  the  boilers.  No.  2.  Depth,  420  feet;  diameter,  3-inches.  First 
water  at  250  feet;  second  at  390  feet,  from  which  depth  the  water  is 
taken. 

Flow  and  quality  of  the  water  similar  to  that  of  No.  1,  except  that  the 
water  has  a  slightly  brackish  taste,  and  is  accompanied  by  a  small 
amount  of  inflammable  gas.  Record;  white  sand  and  red  clay,  0-100 
feet;  blue  clay,  1GO-250  feet,  at  which  depth  the  first  water  was  obtained 
in  sand.  Below  the  depth  of  250  feet  the  record  is  not  given,  but  at  420 
feet  a  bed  of  black  or  dark  clay  was  entered  from  which  some  frag- 
ments of  shells  broken  by  the  drill,  were  obtained. 

Mobile  Oil  Company's  wells,  at  the  Bascomb  race  track,  a 
few  miles  from  the  court-house  near  Mobile;  bored  by  J.  A. 
Joullian  in  1902;  two  wells  close  together;  records  practically 
identical. 

Record  of  Mobile  Oil  Company's  well  No.  1,  near  Mobile. 


Material.  Thickness.      Depth. 

Feet.  Feet. 

Upper  soil  15  15 

Blue    clay '. 10  25 

Lignite    2  27 

Blue  clay  and  sand    75  102 

Coarse  white  sand  15  117 

Gravel    35  152 

Stiff   blue   clay    22  174 

Blue  sand   6  180 

Blue  shale  and  fragments  of  shells 22  202 

Blue   clay 52  254 

Sand    5  259 

Blue   clay    15  274 

Coarse  white  sand  4f,  320 

Blue    shale    and    shells    20  340 

Blue    shale     35  375 

Sandstone    :•'.  378 

Gravel  1  379 

Gumbo    15  394 

Blue  sand   10  404 

Blue    shale     5  409 

Sandy  blue   clay    45  454 

Blue    clay    23  477 

Sand    15  492 

Blue   shale    29  521 

Sand    10  531 

Blue   shale 40  571 

Gravel    5  576 

Blue  shale    50  626 

Blue   shale   with  shells    2  628 

Blue   clay    20  648 

Sand   22  670 

Blue  shale  and   lignite   2  672 

Blue  shale  and  rotten  shells  20  692 

Sand,   shelly   20  712 

Shale    19  731 


310 


DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 


Gumbo    20  751 

Shale,  shells   20  771 

Shale  and  small  shells    9  780 

Blue    clay    30  810 

'White   sand   5  815 

Gumbo   25  840 

Sand,  salt  water,  and  gas   59  899 

Gravel   47  946 

Gray  clay   21  967 

Blue    clay    17  984 

Shale  and  shells   23  .1,007 

Sand   23  1,030 

Blue  clay   29  ,059 

Blue    shale    11  ,070 

Blue  clay    22  ,092 

Conglomerate,   pebbles    2  ,094 

Hard  blue  shale   16  ,110 

Sand   rock    2  ,112 

Gumbo    36  ,148 

Sand   rock    5  ,153 

Gumbo   3  ,156 

Sand    rock     8  ,164 

Gumbo    5  ,169 

Sand  rock  and  some  gas  4  ,173 

Blue  clay  and  lignite  23  ,196 

Hard  rock   4  ,200 

Gumbo     12  ,212 

Rock 2  ,214 

Gumbo  and  lignite   10  ,224 

Rock    7  ,231 

Fine   ssuid    5  ,236 

Rock    2  ,238 

Blue  clay  and  shells   8  ,246 

Gumbo    12  ,258 

Shale 25  ,283 

Rock    2  ,285 

Gumbo    23  ,308 

Shale   45  1,353 

Gumbo     85  1,438 

Limestone,   blue    2  1,440 

Shale   1  1.441 

Limestone    2  1,443 

Shale   4  1,447 

Shale   2  1,449 

Limestone    1  1,450 

Shale    2  1,452 

Lime  rock    7  1,459 

Sand  and  shells;  gas  and  saltwater   ..  60  1,519 

Limestone    7  1,529 


Shells  were  brought  up  from  various'  depths  in  this  well.  At 
about  700  feet  the  shells  indicate  the  Pliocene;  between  1500 
and  1550  feet  were  shells  characteristic  of  the  Oak  Grove 
(Fla.)  horizon,  which  is  Miocene. 

Well  No.  2  (Plate  XXVIII)  went  deeper,  pentrating  into 
the  Chattahoochee  limestone,  though  not  reaching  the  Vicks- 
burg  (St.  Stephens.)  In  this  well  also,  at  the  depth  of  1,250 
feet,  the  shells  encountered  were  those  characteristic  of  the 
Chipola  beds  of  Florida.  Thus  there  is  here  a  section  of  the 
Pliocene  and  the  whole  of  the  Miocene  of  the  Gulf  coast.  These 
beds  are  very  sparingly  exposed  at  the  surface  in  Alabama ;  the 
only  locality  thus  far  noted  being  in  Escambia  County ;  but 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  311 

they  are  well  shown  on  the  Chattahoochee  River  in  Florida, 
and  on  the  Chickasawhay  in  Mississippi,  where,  however,  they 
are  only  the  uppermost  of  the  series  which  has  been  identified 
as  Pliocene. 

Great  quantities  of  salt  water  and  inflammable  gas  come  up 
from  both  these  wells.  The  following  notes  on  well  No.  1  are 
furnished  by  Mr.  Joullian,  who  superintended  the  work. 

The  well  has  a  flow  of  2,500  barrels  (of  4£  gallons)  in  twen- 
ty-four hours.  The  water  is  a  3  per  cent,  salt  solution,  with 
a  temperature  of  86°.  The  well  also  yields  about  200,000  cu- 
bic feet  of  gas  in  twenty-four  hours.  It  was  the  intention  to 
pipe  this  gas  to  the  city,  but  it  has1  not  been  done.  As  the  water 
spouts  up  7  or  8  feet  above  the  end  of  the  4-inch  pipe  which 
forms  the  casing  it  is  a  foam  of  gas  and  water  which  can 
be  ignited,  when  it  burns  until  accidentally  splashed  out  by  the 
water  falling  back. 

ALABAMA   PORT. 

At  Alabama  Port,  near  the  southeast  end  of  the  mainland, 
below  Mobile,  a  well  has  been  bored  by  the  company  owning 
the  property.  From  this  well  also  shells  have  been  brought 
up  which  identify  the  formations  as  in  the  other  wells  above 
noticed.  The  water  from  this  well  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr. 
Hodges,  with  the  result  shown  below  : 

Analysis  of  water  from  icell  at  Alabama  Port. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    trace 

Sodium    (Na)    120.2 

Magnesium    (Mg)    trace 

Calcium    (Ca) 2.6 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3)    1.1 

Chlorine    (Cl)     113.7 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    1.0- 

Carbonic  acid   (HCO3)    129.1 

Silica  (SiO2)   33.5 


401.2 


No  accurate  record  was  kept  of  this  boring,  but  the  follow- 
ing notes  are  furnished  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Tisdale :  Flowing  water, 
7  gallons  per  minute,  was  struck  at  80  feet,  the  small  flow  be- 
ing due  to  a  defective  strainer.  The  present  well  is  cut  off 


3J2  DETAILS:    COAST \L  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

at  377  feet,  below  which  to  the  bottom  (900  feet)  hard  ledges 
were  encountered  at  intervals  in  the  generally  loose  and  un- 
consolidated  materials. 

Another  well  is  now  (1905)  in  progress  in  the  ^ame  locality. 

FORT   GAINES. 

At  Fort  Gaines,  at  the  east  end  of  Dauphin  Island,  across 
the  channel  from  Fort  Morgan,  a  well  has  recently  been  bored 
by  the  United  States  Government.  It  was  completed  November 
12,  1903;  diameter,  6  inches;  depth,  .919  feet. 

Record  of  Government  well,  Fort  Gaines. 


Material 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Feet. 

Feet. 

White    sand    

10 

10 

Black    sand    

60 

70 

Blue    sand    , 

6 

76 

White   .sand    

95 

171 

Blue    clay    

20 

191 

White  sand   

41 

282 

Blue  sand,  very   fine   

45 

277 

Blue   clay    

35 

312 

Blue    sand    

30 

342 

Blue   clay    

10 

352 

Limestone    (2   feet)    

2 

354 

Gray  sand;  salt  water  

55 

409 

Sandstone,  very  hard   

5 

414 

Gravel    

5 

419 

Gumbo    clay    

30 

449 

Gray  sand  

110 

559 

Blue   clay    

60 

619 

Gray   sand    

50 

669 

Gravel    

.     10 

679 

Blue    clay    

145 

824 

Water-bearing  sand  (strainer 

landed  in 

this)    

,...:  95 

919 

The  water  from  this  well  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges, 
with  the  result  given  below : 

Analysis  of  water  from  Government  ivell,  Fort  Gaines. 


Parts    per    million. 

Potassium    (K)    4.1 

Bodium    (Na)    125.7 

Magnesium  (Mg)   

Calcium   (Ca)    6.1 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,   A12O3) 1.8 

Chlorine   (Cl)    192.9 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO,)    2.0 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   29.1 

Silica    (SiOa)    • 53-9 

416.8 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY  OK   ALABAMA.      UNDERGROUND  WATER  RESOURCES.      PLATE  XXIX. 


ARTESIAN    WELL,     OYSTER    CANNING    ESTABLISHMENT,    NEAR    BAYOU    LA    BATRE, 

MOBILE  COUNTY. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  313 

WELLS    ON    PORTERSVILLE    BAY    SHORE. 

The  following  six  records  are  available  of  wells  bored  along 
the  Bay  shore  from  the  mouth  of  Bayou  Labatre  to  a  point  a 
little  east  of  the  mouth  of  Bayou  Coden.  Those  nearest  Bayou 
Labatre  were  bored  several  years  ago,  the  others  in  1906. 

Oyster  Canning  Establishment  well,  at  mouth  of  Bayou  Labatre.  Only 
meagre  records  can  be  obtained  of  this  well  which  was  bored  a  number 
of  years  ago.  It  is  580  feet  deep,  passing  through  sands  and  clays.  The 
first  water  was  reached  at  500  feet,  but  the  yield  was  small  and  the  water 
rose  only  to  the  top  of  the  tube.  The  boring  was  then  continued  for  40 
feet,-  when  the  drill  dropped  suddenly  20  feet  as  if  in  a  cave.  Water  was 
struck  again  at  the  depth  of  580  feet,  rising  15  feet  above  the  surface, 
filling  an  elevated  tank  directly  from  the  pipe.  From  the  tank  it  is  con- 
ducted by  wooden  troughs  supported  on  trestles  to  the  factory,  one- 
fourth  mile  or  more  distant.  Plate  XXIX  sfrows  this  arrangement. 

The  water  from  this  well  is  quite  different  in  composition  from  that 
of  the  Fort  Gaines  well,  but  similar  to,  though  less  salty  than  that  of 
the  Alabama  Port  well,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  anal- 
ysis by  Mr.  Hodges: 

Analysis  of  water  from  Bayou  Lalyatre  Cannery  well. 


Parts    per    million. 

Potassium    (K)    3.7 

Sodium    (Na)    54.5 

Magnesium    (Mg)    1.1 

Calcium  (Ca) 3.5 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3) 1.8 


Chlorine    (CD 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)   

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)     

Silica  (SiO2)   


42.5 
4.0 


48.7 
247.7 


Another  well  of  which  no  records  have  been  obtained  has  been  bored 
near  the  railroad  track  a  few  rods  north  of  the  Oyster  Cannery  well  above 
described. 

Barret's  well  near  Sans  Souci  Beach.  Depth,  518  feet;  diameter,  2 
inches;  flow,  50  gallons  per  minute.  The  water  unlike  that  of  the  Mobile 
wells  is  clear  and  without  color;  contains  sulphate  of  sodium  and  a  little 
iron  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 

The  Graham  well  at  the  mouth  of  Bayou  Coden.  Depth,  520  feet;  diam- 
eter, 3  inches;  flow,  100  gallons  per  minute,  a  full  strong  stream,  under 
considerable  pressure.  The  water  has  a  slightly  stronger  taste  of  sul- 
phate of  sodium  than  the  preceding. 

Well  at  Coden  station  where  the  railroad  crosses.  Bayou  Coden.  Depth, 
about  520  feet,  good  flow,  record  similar  to  that  of  the  other  wells  along 
the  beach. 

The  Ralston  well  on  the  beach  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Mouth  of 
Bayou  Coden  and  the  Graham  well.  Depth,  520  feet;  diameter,  3  inches 


314  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

flow  60  gallons   per   minute;   water   of   the   same   quality   as   that   of  the 
Barret  well. 

Record  of  the  Portersville  Bay  wells  above  described;  Soil  and  mottled 
clay,  0-15  feet;  Blue  clay,  15-48  feet;  sands  yielding  abundance  of  water, 
not  overflowing,  48-68;  Blue  clays  alternating  at  intervals  with  sands, 
all  devoid  of  shells  or  other  organic  remains  so  far  as  could  be  seen, 
68-520  feet. 

CITRONELLE. 

On  the  high  plateau  dividing  the  waters  ot  the  Alabama 
from  those  of  Dog  River,  near  Citronelle  borings  were  made  in 
1902  in  search  of  oil,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Mobile  Oil 
Company.  Two  wells  were  sunk  not  far  apart.  The  second 
well  went  to  the  depth  of  1,960  feet  or  more.  A  few  notes  in 
regard  to  this  well  have  been  obtained  from  Mr.  Knott,  who 
did  the  drilling.  From  the  surface  down  to  900  feet  the  ma- 
terial appeared  to  be  sand  and  shale  (clay  ?)  ;  at  900  feet  a 
blue  marl  was  encountered,  and  at  that  depth  Mr.  Knott  found 
a  little  showing  of  oil;  from  900  to  1,960  feet  there  were  al- 
ternations of  rock  and  shale  and  streaks  of  dry  sand ;  between 
500  and  600  feet  there 'was  plenty  of  water,  but  it  was  not 
tested  as  to  whether  or  not  it  would  overflow.  No  water  was 
found  below  650  feet. 

As  has  been  stated  above,  the  surface  materials  of  the  Cit- 
ronelle plateau  are  the  red  loam,  sand,  and  pebbles  of  the  La- 
fayette, beneath  which  is  an  undetermined  thickness  of  sands 
and  clays  of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation,  at  least  300  feet,  to 
judge  from  the  fact  that  the  same  formation  is  at  the  surface 
on  the  river  banks  300  feet  lower,  in  the  same  latitude. 


BALDWIN  COUNTY. 
SURFACE  FEATURES. 

So  far  as  observation  has  yet  gone,  nothing  older  than  the 
Grand  Gulf  shows  at  the  surface  in  Baldwin  County,  which 
extends  72  miles  north  and  south.  Over  the  Grand  Gulf  lies 
the  mantle  of  Lafayette  loams,  sands,  and  pebbles  on  most  of 
the  higher,  least-eroded  divides ;  not  indeed  in  a  continuous 
sheet,  but  in  patches  which  are  remnants  of  such  a  sheet. 
In  topographic  character  the  county  varies  from  hilly  and  dis- 
sected in  the  northern  half  to  high-level  plateaus  in  the  south- 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  315 

ern  half.  These  high  flat  lands  extend  to  the  shores  of  Mo- 
bile and  Perdido  bays,  (Plates  XVIII,  XIX,  and  XX).  The 
elevation  of  the  land  between  Mobile  Bay  and  Perdido  River 
south  of  the  main  line  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad 
is  on  an  average  not  less  than  200  feet. 

The  flat  lands  above  mentioned  are  characterized  by  the  oc- 
currence at  frequent  intervals  of  shallow  depressions,  which, 
according  to  the  season,  are  shallow  ponds,  marshes,  or  sa- 
vannahs. (Plate  XXII).  The  larger  and  more  permanently 
wet  depressions  are  the  well-known  "gum  ponds,"  so  called 
from  the  fringe  of  black  gum  trees  with  they  are  bordered. 
(Plate  XXI).  The  gently  undulating  surface  thus  produced, 
with  its  timber  of  long-leaf  pine,  its  lack  of  shrubbery  under- 
growth, and  its  carpet  of  grass,  resembles  a  well-kept  park. 

SHALLOW  WATERS. 

Water  is  easily  obtained  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  county — 
from  springs  where  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  are  suffi- 
cient to  expose  the  Grand  Gulf  beds  below  the  Lafayette,  and 
elsewhere  from  open  wells  which  vary  in  depth  from  a  few 
feet  to  90  feet.  In  the  northern  half  of  the  county  the  condi- 
tions are  like  those  so  often  described  in  the  other  counties.  In 
the  southern  half  the  flatness  of  the  Country  causes  a  relative 
scarcity  of  springs.  Below  the  Lafayette  the  stratified  sands 
and  clays  of  the  Grand  Gulf  afford  storage  reservoirs,  and 
bottoms  for  the  open  wells.  At  Daphne,  opposite  Mobile,  the 
wells  are  40  to  45  feet  deep,  passing  first  through  the  Lafay- 
ette loams,  then  into  Grand  Gulf  sands  to  water,  which  is 
always  just  above  streaks  of  pipe  clay.  At  Randall's  store, 
on  the  hill  above  Daphne,  the  wells  are  100  feet  deep,  the 
extra  depth  being  in  the  sands  and  loams  above  the  stratified 
clay.  On  the  high  flats  3  or  4  miles  from  Daphne  the  wells 
again  are  shallower,  40  feet  or  more,  passing  through  the  La- 
fayette and  the  sandier  beds  of  the  Grand  Gulf  to  a  bottom  of 
clay.  At  Montrose.  south  of  Daphne,  the  wells  are  90  feet  deep 
only  200  to  300  yards  back  of  the  high  bluff  on  which  the  set- 
tlement stands.  This  bluff  is  a  part  of  the  high  land  of  the 
county,  extending  down  to  the  bay  without  any  intervening 
low  grounds.  It  is  well  shown  in  Plate  XVIII. 


31*>  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

MINERAL  WATERS. 

The  mineral  waters  in  Baldwin  County  are  in  the  main 
salty.  They  are  to  be  had  from  shallow  and  driven  wells  sunk 
on  the  sand  spits  and  low  islands.  All  the  bored  wells  on 
Blakely  Island  are  reported  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Webb  as  yielding 
salty  water.  Shallow  wells  on  the  spit  between  the  lagoon  and 
the  Gulf  yield  salt  water  from  which  salt  was  manufactured 
during-  the  war.  It  is  said  to  be  more  salty  than  the  water  of 
the  Gulf.  Some  of  these  salt  wells  are  in  the  N.  E.  quarter 
Section  12,  Township  9  S.,  Range  3  E.,  on  the  eastern  side  of 
Bay  St.  John.  Others  are  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  Section  7, 
Township  9  S.,  Range  4  E.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  simi- 
lar shallow  wells  on  the  mainland  and  quite  as  near  to  the 
salt  water  of  the  lagoons  and  bays  frequently  yield  pure  water, 
some  of  it  exceptionally  so.  This  may  be  seen  in  the  analyses 
of  the  water  from  the  Bromberg  springs,  and  from  the  Bayou 
Labatre  Cannery  well,  in  Mobile  County.  Good  drinking  wa- 
ter is  also  to  be  had  from  shallow  wells  on  the  landward  mar- 
gin of  Perdido  Bay  in  Baldwin  County. 

ARTESIAN  PROSPECTS. 

Except  in  a  few  deep  wells  recently  bored  the  artesian  con- 
ditions of  Baldwin  County  depend  on  the  strata  of  the  Grand 
Gulf  formation  alone.  Near  Soldier  creek  Post-office,  in  Sec- 
tion 16,  Township  8  S.,  Range  6  E.,  on  Perdido  Bay,  in  Mr. 
Randolph's  driven  well,  45  feet  deep,  the  water  rises  very 
nearly  to  the  surface.  At  Millview,  on  the  Florida  side  of  the 
bay,  in  a  well  55  feet  deep,  the  water  rises  5  or  6  feet  above 
the  surface.  Up  Wolf  Bay,  near  Swift  Post-office,  overflowing 
water  is  obtained  at  a  depth  of  110  feet.  Near  Perdido  River 
at  Lane's  Ferry  two  flowing  wells  were  noted  and  one  at 
Gateswood,  not  far  from  Seminole.  Of  these  no  particulars 
were  obtained.  On  the  Florida  side  of  the  river  such  wells 
are  more  numerous  than  on  the  Alabama  side. 

In  the  matter  of  deep  \vells  there  is  comparatively  little  to 
record.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  in  the  center  of 
Section  22,  Township  8  S.,  Range  4  E.,  Major  Fitzhugh  has 
recently  bored  for  oil  to  a  depth  of  of  more  than  1500  feet; 
record  not  obtained.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  Miocene 
shells  were  encountered  in  this  well,  as  in  the  Mobile  wells, 
at  depths  of  730  feet  and  lower. 


WATERS  OF  THE;  TERTIARY  517 

SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTES. 

ADDITIONS. 

Several  analyses  overlooked  at  the  time  or  available  since 
the  printing  of  that  part  of  the  Report  to  which  they  belong, 
are  here  added. 

APPALACHIAN  VALLEYS. 

Cahaba  River  Water. — The  following  analysis  by  Mr.  Hod- 
ges, of  water  from  Cahaba  River  at  DeShazo's  Mill,  below 
Leeds  in  Jefferson  county,  is  given  as  showing  the  average 
character  of  the  water  supply  of  the  City  of  Birmingham. 
This  belongs  to  the  bicarbonated  alkaline  calcic  class'  of  waters 
which  includes  the  majority  of  the  potable  waters  investigat- 
ed by  us. 

Analysis  of  water  from  Cahaba  River,  below  Leeds,  Jefferson  County. 


Parts  r--2r  million. 

Potassium    (K)    "3.6 

Sodium    (Na) 3.8 

Magnesium    (Mg)    8.0 

Calcium    (Ca)     40.7 

Iron  and  alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3)    3.2 

Chlorine    (Cl)    3.5 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    1.7 

Carbonic  acid   (HCO3)    162.2 

Silica    (SiOa)    46.1 


272.8 


VALLEY  OP  THE  TENNESSEE. 

Sanaqua  Mineral  Water,  Huntsville,  Madison  County — In 
the  vicinity  of  Huntsville,  several  rather  shallow  bored  wells 
have  recently  been  sunk  into  the  limestones  of  the  Subcar- 
boniferous  formation.  One  of  these  is  reported  3  miles'  north- 
west of  Huntsville  of  which  no  record  is  available.  Another 
about  4  miles  southwest  of  the  city,  was  bored  in  1905  by  Jud^e 
S.  Morgan  Stewart.  Depth  160  feet ;  40  feet  through  the  sur- 
face soil  and  120  feet  into  the  limestone.  The  water  stands  at 
-no  feet  and  is  brought  to  the  surface  by  a  pump,  the  tubes 


318  DETAILS:    COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

/ 

of  which  are  very  quickly  corroded.  Because  of  its  very  decided 
mineral  qualities  this  water  has  been  put  on  the  market  as  thy 
Sanaqua  Mineral  Water.  Its  composition  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing analysis  made  by  Dr.  B.  B.  Ross,  State  Chemist,  the 
analysis  being  originally  expressed  in  grains  per  gallon  and 
hypothetical  combinations',  but  iccomputed  in  ionic  form  and 
parts  per  million  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Hodges. 

Analysis  of  Sanaqua  Mineral  Water,  Huntsville,  Madison  County. 

Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    22.5 

Sodium    (Na)    2634.7 

Magnesium    (Mg)    187.4 

Calcium   (Ca)    410.7 

Ferrous  oxide  (FeO) 8.4 

Alumina    (A12O3)    10.8 

Chlorine   (Cl) 1365.3 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    5393.0 

Carbonic    acid    (HCO3)    trace 

Sulphuretted    hydrogen    (H2S) 69.0 

Silica  (SiOa)   16.3 

10118.1 


As  the  analysis  shows  this  is  a  strong  saline  water  of  the 
sulphated  sulphuretted  class,  containing  also  a  high  percentage 
of  sodium  chloride  and  of  salts'  of  iron.  In  these  characters  it 
resembles  the  waters  of  the  Flatwoods  of  Sumter  county  as 
exhibited  in  the  analyses  of  the  waters  of  the  Altman,  Mills, 
and  Hightower  wells. 


COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION;  CRETACIOUS. 


HALE  COUNTY. 

Spring  of  T.  G.  Moore ;  two  miles  from  Greensboro  in  the  S. 
W.  quarter  of  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  Section  7,  Township  20, 
Range  5  E.  This  may  be  taken  as  a  fairly  representative 
spring  of  the  kind  mentioned  on  page  158  as  coming  from  the 
Lafayette  formation.  The  water  from  this  spring  has  been 
analyzed  by  Mr.  Hodges  with  the  following  results : 


WATERS  OF  THE)   CRETACEOUS.  319 

Analysis  of  water  from  T.  G.  Moore's  Spring,  near  Greensboro,  Hale 

County. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium   (K)    .6 

Sodium    (Na) 4.3 

Magnesium  (Mg)   .6 

Calcium   (Ca) 1.2 

Iron   (Fe)   .3 

Alumina    (A12O3)    2.3 

Chlorine    (Cl)    2.9 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    .6 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   13.8 

Silica    (Si02)    11.4 


38.0 


It  belongs  to  the  class  of  alkaline  bicarbonated  waters  which 
includes  many  potable  waters  as  well  as  waters'  of  reputed 
medicinal  virtue. 

Artesian  well  at  Lock  5,  now  Lock  8,  Black  Warrior  River. 
— On  page  161  reference  is  made  to  two  wells  at  this  Lock, 
between  Stewarts  and  Akron. 

The  water  from  well  No.  I  has  been  analyzed  by  Mr.  Hod- 
ges with  the  results  given  below. 

Analysis  of  ivater  from  well  No.  1,  Lock  8,  Black  Warrior  River. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K) 8.3 

Sodium   (Na) 1057.4 

Magnesium  (Mg) 15.2 

Calcium   (Ca)    87.2 

Iron  (Fe)   2.8 

Chlorine    (Cl)     1330.1 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    trace 

Carbonic   acid   (HCO3)    865.1 

Silica    (SiOa)    15.8 

3381.9 


This  is  a  strong  alkaline  saline  muriated  water  with  rel- 
atively high  percentage  of  iron.  The  almost  entire  absence  of 
sulphates  is  to  be  remarked. 

Well  at  Bvans  Station. — The  water  from  one  of  the  earlier 
artesian  wells  at  Evans  station  in  Hale  county  has  been  analyzed 
by  Mr.  Hodges;  probably  one  of  the  E.  S.  Evans  wells  men- 
tioned on  page  162.  It  is  a  good  type  of  the  alkaline  saline 
sulphated  class  and  as  such  is'  here  given,  although  more- 


320  DETAILS  I      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

heavily  charged  with  dissolved  salts  than  the  majority  of  the 
waters  of  this  class,  excepting  the  sulphur  waters. 

Analysis  of  water  from,  well  at  Evans  Station,  Hale  county. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    3.0 

Sodium    (Na)    106.3 

Magnesium    (Mg)    33.2 

Calcium   (Ca)    84.2 

Iron  and  alumina    (Fe2O3,   A12O3)    1.9 

Chlorine    (Cl)    21.0 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO4)  ' 274.0 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3) 323.4 

Silica    (SiO2)    44.6 


COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISON  ;  TERTIARY. 


SUMTER  COUNTY. 

Well  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Beavers,  one  mile  east  of  Cuba. — Drilled 
by  Dr.  J.  A.  Beavers  in  May  1905  in  his  yard  to  supply  water 
for  domestic  use.  Previous  to  this  time  malarial  fevers  had 
been  prevalent  in  his  family  but  since  the  well  was  sunk  no 
case  of  sickness  has  occurred  and  Dr.  Beavers  ascribes  this1 
to  the  use  of  the  water,  which  is  raised  by  means  of  a  hand 
pump.  This  pipe  is  I  1-4'  inch  in  diameter. 

The  analysis  by  Mr.  Hodges  shows  this  water  to  belong  to 
the  class  of  alkaline  saline  water  with  predominant  sulphates 
but  with  a  good  percentage  of  chlorides,  and  relatively  high 
content  of  iron.  Waters  of  this  class  even  when  only  slightly 
charged  with  these  mineral  matters  are  often  considered  to 
have  medicinal  value,  as1  for  instance  the  waters  of  the  Healing 
Springs  in  Washington  county,  Butler  Springs  in  Butler, 
Mcntone  Springs  in  DeKalb,  Hawkin's  well  supplying  the 
Leeds  Mineral  water  in  Jefferson  county,  mentioned  in  this 
report. 


WATERS  OF  THE  TERTIARY  321 

Analysis  of  ivater  from  Dr.  J.  A.  Beavers'  ivell,  Sumter  county. 


Parts  per  million. 

Potassium    (K)    v...;  .6 

Sodium    (Na) 4.7 

Magnesium  (Mg)  1.9 

Calcium   (Ca)    3.6 

Iron  and  alumina   (Fe2O3,   A12O3)    1.8 

Chlorine    (Cl)    6.6 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO4)    . ..  8.4 

Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)   14.1 

Silica   (Si02)    9.5 


51.2 


CORRECTIONS. 

Several  errors  have  escaped  the  proof  reader,  as  is  inevitable. 
The  following  are  perhaps  of  enough  importance  to  be  pointed 
out  and  corrected: 

On  page  79  the  summation  of  the  analysis  of  the  Cold  Spring 
water  should  be  301.7,  instead  of  301.9. 

On  page  80  the  summation  of  analysis  of  water  from  Harrell's  well 

should   be    298.7,    instead   of    298.2. 

The  analyses  on  page  89  of  the  waters  from  Cook  springs,  No.  1 
"Sulphur  spring"  and  No.  3,  "Chalybeate"  are  here  reprinted  as 
they  should  be,  as  the  best  way  to  make  the  corrections. 

Analyses  of  water  from  Cook  Springs. 


Parts  per  million. 


No.  1. 

No.  2. 

Sodium    (Na)    

,  30.2 

11.0 

Potassium   (K)    

2.6 

3.7 

Magnesium    (Mg)    

4.1 

2.6 

Calcium   (Ca)    

22.6 

•    11.7 

Iron   &  alumina  (Fe2O3,   A12O3)    

2.8 

10.8 

Chlorine   (Cl)    

5.3 

3.5 

Sulphuric    acid    (SO4)    

5.3 

2.1 

Bicarbonic  acid  (HCO3)  

157.1 

74.1 

Sulphuretted  Hydrogen  (H2S)   

.4 

Silica  (SiO2)   

43.8 

44.8 

274.2      164.; 


Corresponding  changes  should  be  made  in  the  figures  in  the  de- 
scriptive paragraph  preceding  the  analyses. 

On  page  99.     The  summation  of  Analysis  No.  1  should  be  949. ?4 
instead  of  947.80. 

On  page  133  in  the  heading  of  the  analysis— C.  B.  Mill's  should 
be  C.  P.  Mills'. 
21 


322  DETAILS  :      COASTAL  PLAIN  DIVISION. 

On  page  142  the  summation  of  Dr.  "Webb's  analysis  should  be 
5345.36  instead  of  5335.36. 

On  page  143  the  figures  showing  the  proportion  of  Sodium  in  the 
water  of  Allison  well  should  be  2999.0  instead  of  540.2 — and  the 
analysis  correctly  stated  should  be 

Analysis  of  water  from  Allison  Lumber  Company's  well,  near 
Bellamy. 


Parts   per    million. 

Potassium    (K)    13.2 

Sodium    (Na)    2999.0 

Magnesium    (Mg)    43.1 

Calcium   (Ca)    139.6 

Iron  &  Alumina  (Fe2O3,  A12O3)   5.2 

Chlorine   (Cl)    4538.0 

Sulphuric   Acid   (SO4)    .3 

Carbonic  Acid  (HCO3)   784.5 

Silica  (SiOa)   50.8 


8573.7 


On  page  160  the  figure  for  Silica  in  the  analysis  should  be  19.9 
instead  of  19.2. 

On  page  162  the  summation  of  the  first  analysis  of  the  Akron 
water  should  be  129.7  instead  of  141.4,  and  that  of  the  second, 
115.4  instead  of  115.1. 

On  page  258 — the  summation  of  the  analysis  should  be  209.68 
instead  of  205.25. 

On  page  276  the  summation  of  analysis  No.  3  should  be  304.1  in- 
stead of  303.1. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF 
ALABAMA  WATERS. 

CHEMISTRY. 

We  have  seen  that  all  underground  waters  have  their  source 
in  the  rainfall.  Before  reaching  the  earth  the  rainwater  is 
practically  free  from  solid  mineral  matter,  but  is  more  or  less 
charged  with  oxygen  and  carbon  dioxide,  which  give  to  it 
some  solvent  power.  At  the  surface  its  solvent  powers  are 
still  further  increased  by  the  solution  of  certain  compounds 
resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  organic  matter,  and  local- 
ly, from  the  oxidation  of  metallic  sulphides  (chiefly  iron  pv- 
rites).  Aided  by  thes'e  it  speedily  becomes  charged  with  min- 
eral matter  in  its  downward  percolation  through  permeable 
strata. 

All  natural  waters  are  therefore  mineral  waters,  though  this 
term  has  now  come  to  include  only  those  natural  waters  to 
which  their  mineral  contents  impart  a  decided  taste  or  a  decided 
medicinal  quality. 

Let  us  first  follow  the  course  of  the  meteoric  water,  charged 
as  it  is  with  oxygen  carbon  dioxide,  and  organic  matter,  in  its 
downward  progress'  through  the  strata.  The  sedimentary  rocks 
which  furnish  to  the  infiltrating  waters  their  mineral  contents 
may  for  convenience  be  placed  in  two  groups,  namely:  (i) 
those  composed  of  the  products  of  the  decomposition  more  or 
less  complete,  of  the  crystalline  rocks,  and  (2)  those  consisting 
essentially  of  limestone  and  dolomite. 

The  materials  of  the  first  group  are,  the  insoluble  residual 
matters,  (mainly  quartz  sand  and  clay,  usually  ferruginous), 
resulting  from  complete  decomposition;  the  undecomposed  but 
still  decomposable  fragments  of  the  constituent  (especially  felds*- 
pathic)  minerals  of  these  rocks ;  and  the  soluble  products  (main- 
ly alkaline  carbonates  and  silicates)  of  this  decomposition,  per- 
meating and  saturating  the  two  preceding. 

These  soluble  products'  and  the  gradual  decomposition  of  the 
feldspathic  fragments  by  the  carbonated  waters  furnish  a  con- 


01 
I 


324     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

tinuous  supply  of  the  alkalies  to  the  water.  The  carbonate 
of  potassium,  as  is  well  known,  in  contact  with  clayey  sediments, 
very  quickly  passes  into  ins'oluble  compounds;  the  carbonates 
of  calcium  and  magnesium  in  this  class  of  sediments  although 
soluble,  are  present  in  very  small  quantities ;  while  the  sand  and 
clays  are  almost  entirely  insoluble.  The  carbonated  water  which 
has  passed  through  sediments  of  this  nature  would  therefore, 
contain  notable  quantities  of  sodium  with  smaller  amounts 
calcium  and  magnesium. 

In  its  circulation-  through  the  strata  the  carbonated  meteoric 
water  comes  also  in  contact  with  the  second  clas's  of  sediments 
composed  of  limestones  and  dolomites,  from  which  it  takes 
up  notable  amounts  of  calcium  and  magnesium  in  the  form  of 
bicarbonates  or  as  simple  carbonates;  and  such  water  would 
therefore  be  characterized  by  a  predominance  of  calcium  and 
magnesium  ions,  although  waters'  coming  from  limestones  al- 
ways contain  more  or  less  sodium. 

In  their  underground  circulation  an  intermingling  of  waters 
of  these  two  varieties  would  naturally  give  rise  to  those  inter- 
mediate classes  containing  carbonates  both  of  alkalies  (K  and 
Na),  and  of  alkaline  earths'  (Ci  and  Mg.) 

We  have  also  seen  that  the  great  majority  of  our  stratified 
rocks  are  marine  sediments,  and  therefore  must  necessarily  have 
the  pore  spaces  which  constitute  no  inconsiderable  portion  of 
their  volume,  filled  with  the.  waters  of  the  ancient  seas  in  which 
the  sediments'  were  deposited.  This  will  be  the  case  especially 
where  these  rocks  lie  below  the  level  of  the  sea  and  have  no-: 
been  uplifted  or  broken  so  as  to  allow  their  bitter  waters  to 
be  replaced  by  fresh  infiltrating  waters.  It  may  be  remarked 
here  also,  that  clayey  and  calcareous  sediments  preserve  their 
saline  solutions  far  better  than  do  the  porous'  sandstones,  as 
may  be  seen  by  comparison  of  the  analyses  of  the  water  de- 
rived from  strata  of  various  kinds.*  And  furthermore,  as  at 
present,  so  in  the  past,  there  have  been  interior  basins  without 
outlet,  and  portions  of  the  sea  isolated  from  the  main  body  in 
which  by  complete  evaporation,  gypsum,  salt,  and  the  more  sol- 
uble salts  of  the  mother  liquor  have  bqcome  incorporated  in 
the  sediments  in  solid  form.  Circulating  waters  after  taking 
in  solution  these  neutral  salts  from  the  above  mentioned  marine 
sediments,  embrace  on  the  one  hand  the  brines,  characterized 


*T.  S.  Hunt,  Chemical  and  Geological  Essays,  page  104. 


CHEMISTRY,  ,         325 

by  the  preponderance  of  chlorides  and  the  practical  absence  of 
sulphates,  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  sulphated  waters  char- 
acterized by  the  predominance  of  sulphates  and  the  relatively 
small  amount  of  chlorides.  Sulphated  saline  waters  of  this 
origin  are,  however,  in  our  experience,  rare.  The  more  prolific 
source  of  the  sulphated  waters  is  the  action  of  the  sulphuric 
acid  and  sulphates  of  iron  and  aluminum,  generated  by  the  oxi- 
dation of  pyrites,  upon  salt-bearing  calcareous  and  magnesian 
sediments'.  Beds  of  carbonaceous  clay  with  gypsum  and  iron 
pyrites  are  especially  favorable  to  the  production  of  such  water 
as  is  shown  by  its  abundance  in  the  "Flatwoods"  belt  of  the 
Tertiary.  Often  waters  of  this  later  class  contain  free  sulphu- 
ric acid,  there  being  all  gradations  between  strongly  acid  waters 
nad  tho!se  in  which  the  free  acid  has  been  neutralized  by  the  al- 
kaline and  earthy  constituents  of  the  enclosing  sediments.  Those 
waters  produced  through  the  agency  of  the  oxidation  products 
of  pyrites  must  necessarily  be  of  superficial  and  local  character, 
and,  so  far  as  we  have  examined  them,  come  from  springs  and 
shallow  wells,  varying  in  composition  with  the  saturation  of 
the  acids  and  in  concentration  with  the  variations  in  rainfall. 

It  goes  almost  without  saying  that  a  water  deriving  its  min- 
eral constituents  from  any  one  of  the  above  mentioned  sources 
alone  will  rarely  be  met  with,  for  in  the  underground  circula- 
tion there  must  inevitably  be  a  more  or  less  thorough  mingling 
of  the  waters  enriched  from  all  the  sources  referred  to. 

The  agency  of  decaying  organic  matter,  such  as  is  found  in 
the  black  shales'  of  the  Paleozoic  formations,  in  the  mineraliza- 
tion of  water  is  shown  in  those  varieties  popularity  designated 
as  "chalybeate"  and  "sulphur"  water.  Small  proportions  of 
iron  ore  are  present  in  almost  every  variety  of  water,  but  it 
is  only  to  those  in  which  a  notable  amount  (8  parts  per  mil- 
lion* )  of  iron  is  present  and  which  therefore  have  characteris- 

*In  the  case  of  waters  containing  only  a  small  amount  of  mineral 
matters,  iron  in  much  smaller  proportion  than  8  parts  per  million 
may  impart  a  chalybeate  character  to  it.  The  analyses  given  in  this 
report  seem  to  show  that  when  the  proportion  of  iron  to  the  total 
amount  of  dissolved  solids  in  the  water  is  as  high  as  1  to  75,  the 
water  is  chalybeate. 

Thus,  the  water  of  the  Ivey  well  at  Flomaton  contains  only  3.8 
parts  per  million  of  iron,  yet  it  is  very  decidedly  chalybeate,  but  the 
total  solids  in  this  water  amount  to  only  121.3  parts  per  million. 
The  water  of  Chandler's  spring  containing  319.8  total  solids  and  4.3 
iron,  is  also  chalybeate.  The  water  of  the  Mentone  spring  is  strong- 
ly chalybeate  with  6.6  parts  per  million  of  iron  and  80.5  parts  per 
million  total  solids. 


326     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

tic  medicinal  proprieties,  that  the  name  "chalybeate"  is'  com- 
monly applied.  In  the  sediments  free  from  organic  matter  the 
iron  exists  in  the  ferric  or  highly  oxidized  condition  which  is 
insoluble  in  meteoric  waters,  but  by  the  action  of  decomposing 
organic  matter  this  oxide  is  reduced  to  the  ferrous,  which  is 
easily  soluble  in  carbonated  waters.  On  exposure  to  the  air 
the  escape  of  the  carbon  dioxide  is  followed  by  the  oxidation 
of  the  iron  back  to  the  ferric  or  insoluble  condition,  and  its 
consequent  deposition  as  hydrated  ferric  oxide  in  the  run-off 
of  the  spring. 

"Sulphur."  waters  are  characterized  by  the  presence  of  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen  in  such  quantity  as  to  give  a  distinct  char- 
acter  to  the  water.  The  origin,  at  least  of  all  the  Alabama  wa- 
ters of  this  nature,  may  be  traced  to  the  reducing  action  of  de- 
composing organic  mater  upon  sulphates.  In  very  many  cases 
this  reaction  may  be  very  intimately  as'sociated  with  oxidation 
of  the  metallic  sulphides,  principally  iron  pyrites.  This  oxi- 
dation gives  rise  to  the  sulphate  of  iron  and  by  subsequent 
reactions  to  the  sulphates  of  magnesium,  calcium,  etc.  When 
the  decaying  organic  matter  is  present  in  sufficient  amount 
these  sulphates'  may  be  reduced  to  sulphides  which  may  be  taken 
directly  into  solution  or  by  reaction  with  alkaline  waters  may 
form  hydrogen  sulphide.  Brines  containing  small  amounts  of 
sulphates  are  liable  to  contain  traces  of  sulphuretted  hydro- 
gen if  organic  matter  be  present. 

CLASSIFICATION. 

A  systematic  arrangement  is  the  first  requisite  in  a  study  of 
mineral  waters'.  Any  classification,  while  to  a  certain  extent 
arbitrary,  must  be  broad  enough  to  include  any  mineral  water 
which  may  hereafter  be  analyzed  and  must  also  be  in  line  with 
modern  research.  Many  classifications  have  been  proposed, 
but  the  one  brought  out  by  Messrs.  Haywod  and  Smith  in  a 
recent  government  publication*  is  the  most  satisfactory  since 
it  is  based  entirely  upon  the  chemical  composition  of  the  water, 
the  subdivisions  being  determined  by  the  predominance  of  one 
or  more  of  the  ingredients.  The  classes  are  defined  not  upon 


*Haywood  and  Smith,  "Mineral  Water  of  the  United  States,"  Bull. 
91,  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 


CLASSIFICATION.  327 

the  basis  of  the  combinations  of  the  ions*  present,  as  most  wri- 
ters have  done,  but  upon  the  basis  of  the  ions  themselves,  no 
chemical  methods  being  known  by  which  in  solutions'  the  rela- 
tive amounts  of  acid  and  basic  ions  entering  into  combination 
with  each  other  to  form  salts  can  be  determined. 

In  the  first  place,  all  waters  are  characterized  by  their  tem- 
perature and  are  divided  into  two  great  groups :  Thermal  and 
non-thermal,  waters  having  a  temperature  above  7o°F.,  being 
considered  as  thermal.  These  two  groups  are  treated  precisely 
alike  so*  far  as  their  s'olid  constituents  are  concerned.  Each 
contains  four  main  classes :  alkaline,  alkaline-saline,  saline, 
and  acid,  each  of  which  may  be  further,  characterized  by  its 
predominant  acid  constituent  as  carbonated  or  bicarbonate^, 
borated,  or  silicated  for  the  alkaline  class ;  sulphated,  muriated 
or  nitrated  for  the  alkaline-saline  and  saline  class'es;  and  as 
sulphated  or  muriated  for  the  acid  class. 

If  any  basic  element  is  prominent  in  the  water  this  fact  may 
be  indicated  by  prefixing  its  name,  (sodic,  lithic,  potassic,  calcic, 
magnesic,  ferruginous,  or  aluminic)  to  the  regular  class  name. 

If  any  basic  or  acid  constituent  is  prominent  therapeutically 
but  not  chemically,  this  fact  may  be  indicated  by  adding  or 
affixing  its  name  (arsenic,  bromic,  iodic,  boric,  siliceous,  fer- 
ruginous, etc.)  to  the  regular  class  name. 

Lastly,  any  water  belonging  to  any  subdivision  of  either  of 
the  four  classes,  may  be  characterized  by  the  presence  of  gase- 
ous constituents,  as  carbon  dioxated,  sulphuretted,  carburetted, 
etc. 

This  classification,  as  to  group,  class,  and  subclass,  is  shown 
in  the  table  below,  any  class  being  capable  of  additional  char- 
acterization by  naming  its  prominent  acid  or  basic  constituent, 
as  above  indicated. 


*  According  to  the  modern  theories  of  electrolytic  dissociation  an 
ion  is  an  electrically  charged  simple  atom  or  group  of  atoms  forming 
in  itself  a  complete  individual,  i.  e.  acting  as  a  chemical  unit.  To 
illustrate;  common  salt — sodium  chloride — consists  of  an  atom  of 
sodium  (Na)  combined  with  an  atom  of  chlorine  (Cl).  In  solution 
the  ions  of  common  salt  would  be  Na  for  the  basic  element  and  Cl 
for  the  acid.  In  calcium  sulphate,  a  combination  of  calcium  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  the  ions  are  Ca  for  the  calcium  base,  and  SCU  for  the 
acid  group. 


328     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 


SCHEME;  OF  CLASSIFICATION. 


Group.  Class. 

I.     Alkaline-- 


Thermal 

or 
Nonthermal. 


II.     Alkaline-saline. 


III.     Saline. 


IV.     Acid. 


Subclass. 
Carbonated  or 
bicarbonated. 
Borated. 
Silicated. 

Muriated. 
Sulphated. 
Nitrated. 

Muriated. 
Sulpha  ted. 
Nitrated. 


f  Muriated. 
\  Sulphated. 


Alkaline  waters. — Alkaline  waters  are  defined  as  those  giving 
an  alkaline  reaction*  and  containing  carbonic  or  bicarbonic  acid 
ions  in  predominating  quantities,  and  those  giving  an  alkaline 
reaction  and  containing  boric  or  silicic  acid  ions  in  predominat- 
ing quantities,  where  it  can  be  proved  that  the  alkalinity  is  due 
to  thr  presence  of  berates  or  silicates. 

Saline  waters. — Saline  waters  are  those  which  have  an  alka- 
line or  neutral  reaction  and  contain  sulphuric,  hydrochloric, 
or  nitric  acid  ions  in  predominating  quantities. 

Alkaline-saline  waters. — Alkaline-saline  waters  lie  between 
the  alkaline  and  saline  classes.  They  have  an  alkaline  reaction 
and  contain  acid  ions  from  both  these  classes  in  approximately 
equal  amounts. 

Acid  waters. — Acid  waters  are  those  which  have  an  acid 
reaction,  and  contain  either  sulphuric  or  muriatic  acid  ions  in 
predominating  quantities. 


ALKALINE  WATERS. 
TABLES  I  AND  II. 

Of  the  alkaline  waters  as'  defined  above  our  present  inves- 
tigations are  concerned  with  the  carbonated  only,  divisible  into 
two  groups,  one  in  which  calcium  is  the  predominating  basic 

*When  acid  or  alkaline  reactions  are  mentioned  in  these  defini- 
tions, methyl  orange  is  supposed  to  be  used  as  indicator.  (Hay wood 
and  Smith.) 


CLASSIFICATION:    ALKALINE;  WATERS.  329 

constituent,  and  the  other  in  which  sodium  is  predominant. 
In  only  one  of  the  alkaline  waters  analyzed  did  the  water  fall 
outside  of  these  two  groups.  The.  water  referred  to  is  that  from 
the  mineral  spring  at  Citronelle,  Mobile  County,  in  which  iron 
predominates  over  all  other  basic  constituents.  In  the  exami- 
nation of  thes'e  analyses  (Tables  I.  and  II.)  it  will  be  seen  that 
in  both  groups  the  amount  of  mineral  matter  present  is  rela- 
tively small,  seldom  exceeding  300  parts  per  million.  To  this, 
however,  the  water  from  the  Demopolis  City  wells,  with  951.^ 
parts  per  million  of  solid  matters,  mainly  sodium  carbonate, 
is  a  very  notable  exception. 

These  waters  are  all  good  for  domestic  purposes,  many  of 
them  constituting  the  water  supply  of  our  cities,  and  it  is  proba- 
ble that  when  more  analyses  shall  have  been  made,  this  suit- 
ability of  the  alkaline  waters  for  city  supplies  will  be  still  move 
clearly  shown. 

Table  I  includes  those  alkaline  bicarbonated  waters  in  which 
calcium  is  the  predominant  basic  constituent,  and  of  these  we 
have  37  analyses,  which  we  place  in  three  groups';  (i)  the 
normal  calcic  bicarbonated  alkaline  waters;  (2)  those  in  which 
the  proportion  of  magnesium  is  exceptionally  high,  and  (3) 
those  in  which  iron  is  a  characteristic  or  predominant  constitu- 
ent. 

Of  the  normal  waters  of  group  i,  we  have  26  analyses,  18  of 
which  are  of  spring  waters,  i  of  a  shallow  well,  i  of  a  river 
furnishing  a  city  supply,  and  6  of  deep  wells.  Ten  of  the 
spring  waters,  and  the  shallow  (Ingram)  well  water,  are  con- 
sidered medicinal  waters.  The  Cold  Spring  £t  Blount  Springs 
and  the  Freestone  spring  at  the  Alabama  White  Sulphur 
Springs  may  be  taken  as  typical  limestone  spring  waters, 
which  issue  so  abundantly  from  the  subcarboniferous  limestones 
and  from  the  Knox  Dolomite.  The  Cahaba  river  water  also 
gets  its'  character  from  the  limestones  over  which  the  river 
flows  in  the  upper  part  of  its  course. 

Of  the  6  deep  well  waters,  three,  viz.,  those  from  C.  C. 
Fen-ill's  and  the  City  wells  at  Selma,  and  from  the  well  it 
Williford's  Landing,  contain  relatively  high  percentages  of 
the  chloride  and  sulphate  of  sodium,  which  brings  them  into 
close  relation  with  the  waters  included  in  Table  II. 

In  group  2  of  Table  I,  we  have  placed  those  bicarbonated- 
alkaline  waters  which  are  characterized  by  relatively  high  pro- 


3SO     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

portion  of  the  salts  of  magnesium.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that 
of  the  six  analyses  here  included,  five  are  of  "mineral"  springs, 
and  one  of  a  deep  well  in  the  Coal  Measures.  All  the  mineral 
springs  are  places  of  resort.  While  in  all  these  magnesic  wa- 
ters the  bicarbonates  predominate,  yet  the  saline  constituents, 
chlorides  and  sulphates,  are  also  relatively  abundant. 

Of  the  chalybeate  waters  of  group  3,  one  is  from  a  spring, 
one  from  a  shallow  well,  and  three  from  deep  wells.  In  this 
connection  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  magnesic  mineral 
spring  waters  of  the  preceding  group  2,  are  also  strongly  chaly- 
beate. 

In  Table  II,  which  includes  those  bicarbonated  alkaline  wa- 
ters in  which  sodium  is  the  predominating  constituent,  there 
are  17  analyses.  Of  these,  13  are  of  waters  from  deep  wells 
coming  from  or  through  limestone  formations,  the  other  4 
are  from  springs,  three  of  which  are  classed  as  mineral  (me- 
dicinal) springs.  One  of  these,  the  Cherokee  spring  at  Cit- 
ronelle,  is  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  the  iron  predominates 
over  all  the  other  basic  ingredients  of  the  water.  Nearly  inter- 
mediate between  this  class  and  the  preceding  are  the  two  deep 
well  waters  above  alluded  to,  from  Selma  and  from  Williford's 
(Table  I.)  which  might  with  almost  equal  propriety  be  put 
in  Table  II.  With  the  exception  of  the  Exchange  Hotel  and 
Demopolis  waters',  the  high  percentage  of  sodium  in  the  deep 
well  waters  derived  from  limestone  formations,  appears  to  be 
due  in  part  to  the  common  salt  and  sodium  sulphate  which 
those  formations,  as  marine  sediments,  normally  contain.  With 
increase  in  the  relative  proportion  of  sodium  salts  these  waters' 
grade  into  the  alkaline-saline  muriated,  and  saline  muriated  wa- 
ters which  may  be  considered  the  typical  deep  well  waters. 

It  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  other  tables  that  about 
half  of  the  "mineral"  waters  of  which  we  have  analyses,  are 
included  in  the  bicarbonated  alkaline  classes',  and  of  these  a 
very  large  proportion,  four-fifths  or  more,  contain  calcium  as 
the  predominating  constituent. 

It  is  to  be  remarked  that  either  of  these  groups  of  alkaline 
waters  may  become  chalybeate  through  the  intervention  of  de- 
caying organic  matters,  such  as  are  found  in  the  black  shales 
of  the  Paleozoic  formations. 

The  same  black  shales',  in  conjunction  with  the  oxidation 
products  of  iron  pyrites,a  mineral  of  frequent,  almost  univer- 


CLASSIFICATION  :     ALKALINE-SALINE  WATERS.        331 

sal  occurrence  in  such  shales,  are  the  source  of  many  of  the 
sulphuretted  waters  of  this  section.  The  Cook  springs  in  the 
Coal  Measures'  and  the  two  St.  Clair  Sulphur  springs  in  the 
Cambrian  Flatwoods  owe  their  existence  to  black  pyritous 
shales. 

Chalybeate  waters  are  more  commonly  spring  waters  than 
deep  well  waters.  The  only  strongly  chalybeate  well  waters 
in  this  class  are  those  from  the  Akron  and  Brantley  wells.  The 
other  chalybeate  waters'  come  from  springs  in  the  crystalline 
rocks.  (Chandler's  and  Chambers')  ;  in  the  Subcarboniferovis 
or  Mississippian  series,  (Harrell's)  ;  in  the  Coal  Measures  or 
Pennsylvanian  series  (Cooks)  ;  and  in  the  Grand  Gulf,  (Citro- 
nelle.) 

With  the  exception  of  Harrell's1  (shallow  well),  these  are 
places  of  resort. 

ALKALINE-SALINE  WATERS. 
TABLE  III. 

As  the  name  indicates,  these  waters  are  intermediate  be- 
tween the  alkaline  and  saline  classes  and  contain  approximately 
equal  portions  of  the  carbonates  which  are  characteristic  of  the 
alkaline  class  and  of  the  "chlorides  and  sulphates'  predominant 
in  the  saline  class.  They  are  further  subdivided  into  two 
groups,  muriated  and  sulphated,  according  to  the  preponderance 
of  the  chlorides  or  sulphates  which  they  have  derived  from  the 
strata  through  which  they  have  passed. 

In  this  clas's  the  mineral  contents  are  generally  much  higher 
than  in  the  alkaline  class,  and  since  marine  sediments  which 
make  up  the  bulk  of  our  stratified  rocks  are  richer  in  chlorides, 
mainly  common  salt,  than  in  sulphates,  the  muriated  waters 
hold  a  larger  proportion  of  mineral  matters  than  do  the  sul- 
phated. This  may  be  seen  by  inspection  of  the  table.  The  small 
amount  of  sulphates  in  the  muriated  waters  is  also  worthy  of 
notice. 

In  the  muriated  group  of  alkaline-saline  waters  we  have  16 
analyses  available ;  10  from  deep  wells,  I  from  a  shallow  well, 
and  5  from  "mineral"  springs.  Eight  of  the  deep  wells,  viz., 
those  in  Hale,  Greene,  and  Marengo  counties',  and  the  Pitts- 
boro  well  derive  their  waters  from  the  Eutaw  sands,  while  the 


332     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

Bayou  Labatre  and  Alabama  Port  wells  of  Mobile  county  find 
their  water  in  Miocene  or  some  later  Tertiary  strata.  The 
three  sulphur  waters  of  Blount  Springs  owe  their  content  .of 
sulphur  to  the  oxidation  of  pyrite  and  the  reducing  action  of 
organic  matter  in  the  Devonian  black  shale.  The  Blount  waters 
are  generally  considered  to  be  the  strongest  sulphur  waters'  in 
the  State,  a  claim  which  is  borne  out,  so  far  as  the  analyses  pre- 
sented in  the  tables  accompanying  this  paper  are  concerned.* 
Only  one  of  the  waters  of  this  group  is  notably  chalybeate,  viz., 
that  from  a  shallow  well  of  J.  W.  Bright  in  Mobile  county. 

Of  the  sulphated  group  there  are  n  analyses  available,  of 
which  7  are  of  spring  waters ;  2  of  shallow  wells,  (Hawkins  and 
Beavers)  ;  and  2.  of  deep  wells,  that  at  Enterprise  deriving  its 
water  probably  from  the  Nanafalia  formation,  and  that  at 
Evans  Station,  from  the  Eutaw  sands.  Only  one  of  this 
group  is  a  chalybeate  water,  the  Mentone  on  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, (Coal  Measures.) 

In  both  groups'  of  this  class,  the  gradual  increase  of  the  chlo- 
rides and  sulphates  present,  marks  a  gradual  transition  into 
the  saline  class. 

SALINE  WATERS. 
TABLE  IV. 

Under  this  heading  are  included  two  very  distinct  groups, 
both  as  regards  origin  and  composition.  The  one  group  is  char- 
acterized by  the  predominance  of  chlorine  ions',  the  other  by  the 
predominance  of  sulphuric  acid  ions.  Both  groups  contain 
variable  but  relatively  small  quantities  of  carbonic  acid  ions  as 
a  result  of  intermingling  with  waters  of  other  classes. 

The  muriated  waters  of  this  class  contain  as  their  chief  con- 
stituent, common  salt,  with  or  without  the  chlorides  of  potas- 
sium, magnesium,  or  calcium.  Sulphates  are  practically  absent 
(as  in  the  muriated  group  of  the  alkaline-saline  class),  and 
this,  in  connection  with  the  presence  of  calcium  and  magnesium 
salts  (chlorides)  in  relatively  large  proportion,  is'  considered 
to  be  characteristic  of  ancient  brines  as  distinguished  from  the 

*The  large  figure  for  the  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  (530.2  parts  per 
million)  in  the  analysis  of  Talladega  Springs  water,  given  in  Table 
TV.  is  evidently  a  mistake,  since  a  recent  determination  made  at  the 
spring  by  Mr.  Hodges,  gave  only  19  parts  per  million. 


CLASSIFICATION:     SALINE  WATERS.  333 

waters  of  modern  seas.  Their  composition  points  thus  to  their 
derivation  from  the  brines  and  mother  liquors  of  ancient  seas', 
or  from  the  salts  of  these  ancient  seas  left  in  solid  form  upon 
evaporation  of  isolated  basins. 

Of  these  muriated  waters  we  have  13  analyses;  all,  with  the 
exception  of  a  spring  situated  on  the  coast  in  Mobile  county, 
from  deep  wells  deriving  their  supply  from  a  great  variety  of 
geological  formations.  The  two  wells  at  Holt  and  the  Hosiery 
Mill  well  at  Tuscaloosa  derive  their  water  from  the  strata 
of  the  Coal  Measures;  the  Allen  well,  the  Eutaw  Dump  well, 
the  Livingston  and  the  Allison  wells,  from  the  Tuscaloosa  and 
Eutaw  sands  of  the  Cretaceous :  the  Clarke  county  salt  well. 
from  the  middle  Eocene;  the  Jackson  well  and  the  Cullom 
Springs  well,  from  the  lower  Eocene,  although  the  drilling  in 
the  latter  well  went  down  into  the  Cretaceous ;  the  Fort  Gaines 
well  and  the  Mobile  Oil  Mill  well,  from  the  Miocene  or  some 
later  Tertiary  formation. 

Some  of  these  waters  are  used  for  domestic  purposes,  others 
are  too  salty  for  constant  use,  while  the  water  from  the  Clarke 
county  brine  well  has  been  used  in  the  manufacture  of  salt. 

The  waters  from  the  Hosiery  Mill  well  in  Tuscaloosa  and 
from  the  Livingston  well  are  considered  to  have  medicinal 
value.  The  same  is  true  also  of  the  sulphur  well  at  Jackson  in 
Clarke  county,  which  yields  the  only  sulphuretted  water  of 
this  class  of  which  we  have  an  analysis'.  This  is  primarily  a 
saline  water  containing  a  small  amount  of  sulphates,  from  the 
reduction  of  which  by  the  organic  matters  in  the  water,  the 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  has  originated.  To  (the  taste  this  \s 
one  of  the  most  pleasant  of  the  mineral  waters  of  the  State. 

Of  the  sulphated  waters'  of  the  saline  class  we  have  12  anal- 
yses ;  2  of  springs,  7  of  shallow  wells,  and  3  of  deep  wells. 

The  sulphated  saline  waters  are  of  two- fold  origin;  first, 
those  formed  by  the  solution  of  the  sulphates  existing  in  the 
strata  as'  deposits  of  sulphate  of  sodium,  potassium,  magnesium 
or  calcium.  The  calcium  sulphate  (gypsum)  is  always  pres- 
ent, and  it  may  be  that  the  other  sulphates  have  been  formed 
by  the  decomposition  of  the  gypsum  by  solutions  containing 


334    CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

the  alkaline  and  magnesian  salts.*  Second,  those  formed  by 
the  action  of  the  sulphuric  acid  or  the  acid  sulphates'  upon  al- 
kaline solutions  or  upon  calcareous  or  magnesian  rocks.  The 
sulphated  saline  waters  thus  produced  through  the  agency  of 
the  oxidation  products  of  pyrites  must  necessarily  be  of  super- 
ficial and  local  character.  These  waters',  with  two  exceptions, 
Hightowers  and  Sanaquat,  contain  notable  amounts  of  carbo- 
nates, as  a  result  of  mixtures  with  alkaline  waters.  The  sul- 
phated salines  fall  naturally  into  three  classes  according  as 
sodium,  calcium,  or  magnesium  is  the  predominating  basic 
constituent,  and  in  the  greater  number  of  the  waters  of  this 
group  analyzed  calcium  predominates.  Several  waters  of  the 
sulphated  saline  class  contain  notable  amounts  of  iron  and 
might  be  called  chalybeate. 

ACID  WATERS.  i 

TABLE  V. 

The  acid  waters  of  Alabama  are  due  to  reactions  in  which 
the  oxidation  products  of  metallic  sulphides,  mainly  iron  pyrites, 
take  an  essential  part.  By  this'  oxidation  there  is  produced 
first  the  sulphate  of  iron  (possibly  free  sulphuric  acid),  and, 
by  further  reactions  of  this  with  aluminous,  calcareous  and 
magnesian  rocks,  and  alkaline  solutions,  the  other  sulphates. 
So  long  as  there  is  an  excess  of  free  acid  or  of  the  acid  sul- 
phates of  iron  and  aluminum,  the  waters  will  be  acid,  but  by 
progressive  saturation  of  the  acid  with  the  various  bases  men- 
tioned, there  will  be  a  gradual  formation  of  neutral  sulphates 

*The  fact  that  these  waters,  with  the  exception  of  Perry's,  Hard- 
enbergh's  and  Sanaqua  come  from  springs  or  shallow  wells  is  full 
of  significance.  The  water  standing  in  these  wells  has  time  to  take 
in  from  the  surrounding  clays,  into  which  the  wells  have  mostly  been 
sunk,  all  the  soluble  salts  within  its  reach,  such  as  sulphates  of 
magnesium,  sodium,  and  calcium,  bituminous  matters,  and  if  pyrites 
be  present,  the  products  of  its  oxidation  and  their  alterations.  The 
Hightower,  Mills,  and  Altman  wells,  are  in  the  black  clays  of  the 
Flatwoods,  while  the  conditions  about  the  Gary  and  Jones  springs 
and  the  Tidniore,  McGraw,  and  Landers  wells  are  quite  similar, 
though  the  geological  formations  are  different. 

tThe  Sanaqua  \vater  might  probably  better  be  classed  with  the 
acid  waters  since  carbonates  are  practically  absent.  In  the  very 
high  percentage  of  chlorides,  however,  it  differs  from  the  other  acid 
waters  which  we  have  analyzed. 


CLASSIFICATION:     ACID  WATERS.  335 

and  thus  a  gradation  into  the  sulphated  division  of  the  saline 
waters.  These  waters',  as  well  as  those  of  the  sulphated  saline 
class  of  similar  origin,  are  of  superficial  and  local  character. 
These  acid  waters  are,  of  course,  highly  medicinal  and  there- 
fore of  much  interest.  The  first  from  a  shallow  well  of  Mr. 
W.  E.  Forman,  is  remarkable  for  the  large  amount  of  manga- 
nese sulphate  which  it  holds.  The  two  free  acid  waters,  Dr. 
Kale's  and  the  Matchless  Mineral  Water  of  Greenville,  are  of 
special  interest.  If  we  compare  Dr.  Male's  with  the  other  three 
waters  of  the  same  (Flatwpods)  formation,  viz.,  Hightower's 
Mills',  and  Altman's,  of  the  saline  class,  several  important  rela- 
tions will  appear.  The  Hale  water  being  strongly  acid  contains, 
of  course,  no  carbonates,  the  Hightower  water  similarly  has 
practically  no  carbonates,  but  als'o  no  free  acid — the  neutrali- 
zation being  complete  and  as  yet  no  accession  of  carbonates 
from  contact  with  alkaline  waters.  The  other  two  waters, 
Mills'  and  Altman's,  exhibit  the  further  alteration  of  such  a 
water  as  the  Hightower  after  neutralization  of  the  acid,  through 
gradual  accession  of  carbonates  by  intermingling  with  ordinary 
calcareous  alkaline  waters.  All  three,  Hightower,  Mills,  and 
Altman,  seem  to  betray  their  derivation  from  a  water  of  the 
Hale  type  by  their  high  content  of  iron  diminishing  as  the 
alteration  progresses. 

The  other  acid  water,  from  the  Roper  well  near  Greenville, 
"Matchless  Mineral  Water,"  has  much  reputation  as  a  medici- 
nal water,  which  it  well  deserves.  I  give  in  addition  to  Mr. 
Hodges'  analysis  of  the  water  from  a  sample  taken  after  a  long 
wet  seas'on,  one  by  myself  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Little  made  many 
years  ago,  and  one  by  Dr.  Metz  of  New  Orleans,  to  show  not 
only  the  difference  in  the  concentration,  but  also  in  the  com- 
position of  the  water  at  different  times.  One  analysis  shows 
3,615.7  parts  per  million,  another  9,354.4  parts  per  million, 
over  twice  as  much,  and  the  other  21.490.8  parts  per  million 
nearly  six  times  as  much.  In  the  dilute  water  (Hodges'  anal- 
ysis) the  amounts  of  chlorine,  sodium,  potassium,  calcium, 
aluminum,  and  silica  are  relatively  much  greater  than  in  the 
more  concentrated  waters  of  the  other  two  analyses.  On  the 
other  hand  the  iron  and  sulphuric  acid  ions  in  the  concentrated 
waters  are  present  in  relatively  much  larger  proportion  than 
in  the  dilute. 


336     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 


GENERALIZATIONS. 

From  a  study  of  the  composition  of  the  waters  of  Alabama 
as  indicated  by  the  analyses  given  in  this  report,  I  think  we 
may  be  justified  in  drawing  a  few  general  conclusions,  realizing 
fully,  however,  that  entirely  reliable  generalizations  cannot  be 
made  from  a  small  number  of  analyses.  For  the  present  also, 
we  shall  consider  only  the  deep  wells',  leaving  the  shallow  wells 
and  springs  for  a  later  occasion. 

In  the  three  tables  which  follow  we  have  brought  together 
the  analyses'  of  the  deep  well  waters  which,  as  nearly  as  we  can 
decide  it,  come  from  the  same  geological  formation.  The  class 
to  which  each  water  belongs  is  s'hown  by  the  Roman  numerals. 
The  geographical  distribution  of  the  wells  has  also  been  kept 
in  mind  in  the  arrangement  of  the  analyses  in  the  tables,  and 
the  depths  of  the  wells  are  given  in  most  cases.  In  a  few  in- 
stances' the  figures  indicate  the  depth  from  which  the  water 
supply  comes  rather  than  the  actual  depth  of  the  boring. 

WATERS  FROM  THE  TUSCALOOSA  STRATA. 
TABLE  VI. 

In  Table  VI  are  13  analyses  of  waters  derived  from  the  Tus- 
caloosa  formation.  With  the  single  exception  of  T.  B.  Allen'c, 
they  are  of  the  alkaline  bicarbonated  class,  with  relatively  small 
amounts  of  mineral  matters  and  therefore  all  eminently  fit  for 
drinking  and  domestic  uses ;  the  exception  is  a  strongly  saline 
water  due  to  the  presence  of  a  large  amount  of  salt. 

The  waters  from  the  McLendon  well,  the  Union  Springs 
Water  Works,  the  Prattville  Academy,  and  the  Exchange 
Hotel,  all  from  East  Alabama,  and  the  Demopolis  well  in  Wes- 
tern Alabama,  belong  to  the  subclass  in  which  the  sodium  pre- 
dominates over  the  calcium,  and  this  predominance  is  due  to 
the  pres'ence  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium  rather  than  to  common 
salt,  sodium  chloride.  The  waters  from  the  Elliott  and  the 
Auxford  wells  near  the  Tombigbee  river  in  Hale  and  Tusca- 
loosa  counties,  are  clearly  of  the  subclass  of  alkaline  waters 
in  which  the  calcium  predominates.  The  waters  from  the  two 
Akron  wells  might  be  put  in  either  class',  since  the  proportions 


GENERALIZATIONS:  DKKP  WELL  WATERS.  337 

of  sodium  and  calcium  are  approximately  equal.  The  two 
Selma  waters,  and  that  from  Williford's  Landing  are,  in  a  way, 
intermediate  between  the  two  subclasses,  for  while  the  calcium 
predominates  in  each,  the  amount  of  sodium  is  quite  high, 
and  the  large  proportion  of  chlorine,  especially  in  the  Williford 
water,  seems  to  s'how  that  this  is  due  in  part  at  least  to  com- 
mon salt. 

From  the  analyses  above  presented  it  appears  that  from  the 
meridian  of  Montgomery  eastward,  as  a  rule,  these  waters 
are  characterized  by  predominance  of  sodium  salts,  chiefly  so- 
dium bi-carbonate.  To  the  westward  of  the  Montgomery  me- 
ridian the  subclass  with  predominant  calcium  salts  (bicarbo- 
nate), is  more  frequently  represented,  not  however,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  sodium  subclass,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  analyses 
of  the  Demopolis  and  Akron  waters.  Furthermore  the  propor- 
tion of  common  salt  seems  to  be  greater  in  the  waters  wesc 
of  Montgomery  than  in  those  to  the  east.  But  the  great  excess 
of  salt  in  the  water  from  T.  B.  Allen's  well  is  remarkable,  con- 
sidering its  source  in  the  Tuscaloosa  sands. 

By  way  of  a  partial  explanation  of  the  facts  brought  out,  it 
may  be  stated  that  the  Tuscaloosa  formation,  being  in  the  main 
if  not  altogether  of  fresh  water  origin,  would  naturally  contain 
only  a  small  amount  of  common  salt  in  its  strata.  And  since 
the  materials  of  this  formation  in  east  Alabama  were  probably 
furnished  by  the  disintegration  products  of  the  igneous  and 
metamorphic  rocks,  while  in  west  Alabama  they  were  provided 
by  the  sedimentary  strata  of  the  Coal  Measures  and  other  Paleo- 
zoic (marine)  formations,  the  prevalence  of  the  sodic  subclass 
in  the  eastern  section  and  of  the  calcic  subclass,  especially  when 
notable  amount  of  common  salt  is  present,  in  the  other  section, 
may  be  accounted  for. 

WATERS  FROM  THE  EUTAW  SANDS 
TABLE  VII. 

In  Table  VII  are  assembled  the  analyses  of  waters  from  the 
Eutaw  sands'.  Of  the  16  analyses  here  included,  practically  all 
belong  to  the  saline  and  alkaline-saline  classes,  mainly  the  lat- 
ter. The  two  which  are  assigned  to  the  bicarbonated  class 
with  predominance  of  sodium,  viz.  Wedgworth's  and  Madi- 
son Jones',  contain  so  much  salt,  as  indicated  by  the  relatively 

22 


338     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

high  chlorine  content,  that  they  might  almost  be  included  in  the 
alkaline-saline  clas's.  While  all  these  waters  contain  large 
amounts  of  common  salt  and  are  therefore  to  be  classed  as 
muriated,  yet  three  of  them,  viz.,  those  from  the  Perry  well  in 
Russell  county,  and  from  the  Evans  and  Hardenberg  wells  in 
Hale  county,  contain  so  much  sulphate  of  lime  as  to  bring  them 
into  the  sulphated  division.  In  every  other  case  the  amount  of 
sulphates'  is  exceedingly  small,  sometimes  dwindling  to  a  mere 
trace  or  to  practical  absence.  They  all  contain  notable  amounts 
of  carbonates. 

These  facts  find  their  explanation  in  the  circumstance  that  the 
Eutaw  sands  are  marine  sediments  and  contain  the  salts  of  the 
ancient  seas  in  which  they  were  deposited.  While  the  carbo- 
nates are  chiefly  carbonates  of  lime  and  magnesia  leached  from 
the  limestones  interstratified  with  the  Eutaw  sands,  yet  in  the 
majority  of  cases  the  alkaline  (potassium  and  sodium)  car- 
bonates are  also  present  in  these  waters. 

WATERS  FROM  UPPER  CRETACEOUS  AND  TERTIARY  STRATA. 
TABLE  VIII. 

In  Table  VIII  we  have  five  analyses'  of  deep  well  waters  de- 
rived from  the  Upper  Cretaceous  or  Blue  Marl  strata  of  east 
Alabama,  and  n  of  waters  derived  from  several  horizons  of 
the  Tertiary. 

Blue  Marl  Waters. 

The  five  analyses  under  this  head  belong  to  the  Alkaline 
bicarbonated  class  with  predominance  of  sodium  salts,  and  arc 
all,  with  the  exception  of  the  Andalusia  well,  from  wells  in 
Barbour  county.  By  referring  to  the  first  four  analyses  of 
Table  VI,  which  are  also  of  waters  from  East  Alabama  wells, 
it  will  be  seen  that  they  belong  to  the  same  class  of  sodic  alka- 
line bicarbonated  water,  although  derived  from  a  different  for- 
mation— the  Tuscaloosa. 

The  waters  of  the  Clayton  City  supply,  and  from  the  Comer- 
Bishop  and  C.  H.  Bishop  wells,  are  practically  identical  in  com- 
position and  come  from  approximately  the  s'ame  horizon.  In 
these  the  sulphates  are  slightly  in  excess  of  the  chlorides,  as  is 
the  case  also  with  the  water  of  the  Union  Springs  City  supply 


GENERALIZATIONS  .  DEEP  WELL  WATERS.  339 

given  in  Table  VI.  In  the  other  two,  Andalusia  and  Moul- 
throp's,  the  chlorides  predominate  slightly,  but  in  all  five  the 
carbonates'  (mainly  of  sodium)  are  considerably  in  excess  of 
other  salts  combined.  A  somewhat  similar  relation  is  charac- 
teristic also  of  the  four  waters  of  the  Tuscaloosa  formation 
(Table  VI)  above  referred  to. 

It  would  seem  reasonable  to  offer  the  same  explanation  of 
the  predominance  of  the  alkaline  (sodium)  carbonates  in  the 
Blue  Marl  waters  as  was1  suggested  for  the  Tuscaloosa-derrved 
waters  of  these  eastern  counties,  viz.,  the  formation  of  the  sed- 
iments from  the  decomposition  products  of  the  near-by  igneous 
and  metamorphic  rocks.  The  relatively  larger  proportion  of 
chlorides  and  sulphates  in  the  Blue  Marl  as  compared  with  the 
Tuscaloos'a  waters,  accords  with  the  marine  origin  of  the  Blue 
Marl  strata. 

Tertiary  Waters. 

The  IT  analyses  of  waters  from  Tertiary  strata  are  arranged 
in  geographical  order  from  the  coast  regions  of  Mobile  county 
northward  and  eastward.  The  Mobile  county  wells  and  the 
Ivey  well  at  Flomaton  derive  their  supply  from  the  middle  or 
upper  Tertiary  strata,  (Miocene  or  Pliocene).  The  Mobile 
county  wells  all  yield  salt  water,  (muriated  alkaline-saline  and 
saline.)  The  water  of  the  Ivey  well  is  s'odic  Alkaline  bicarbo- 
nated  with  enough  iron  to  make  it  decidedly  chalybeate.  The 
water  from  the  town  well  at  Brantley  in  Crenshaw  county,  is 
quite  similar,  but  in  it  the  calcium  predominates ;  it  also  is 
strongly  chalybeate. 

Of  the  three  salt  wells,  the  two  in  Clarke  county,  viz.,  the 
Brine  well  and  the  Jackson  sulphur  well,  probably  get  the  salt 
water  from  the  Hatchetigbee  formation ;  in  the  Cullom  Springs 
well  in  Choctaw  county,  while  the  boring  went  down  well  into 
the  Cretaceous,  the  main  stream  of  s'alt  water  is  from  a  depth 
of  about  800  feet  and  therefore  probably  from  the  Nanafalia 
formation  or  the  next  underlying  Naheola. 

All  the  salt  wells  and  salt  oozes  of  Washington  and  Clarke 
counties  s'eem  to  be  in  some  way  connected  with  the  Hatchetig- 
bee and  Jackson  anticlinal  uplifts,  and  while  in  many  places 
along  the  flanks  of  these  anticlinals,  especially  along  the  south- 
ern flank  of  the  Hatchetigbee,  the  salt  water  comes  to  the 


340     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

surface  in  oozes  or  springs,  or  is  brought  to  the  surface  by  bor- 
ings ranging  in  depth  from  a  few  feet  to  300  or  400,  it  may  be 
that  its  real  source  is  in  deeper  lying  strata,  and  that  its  occur- 
rence at  the  surface  and  at  shallow  depths  may  be  due  to  arte- 
sion  conditions  in  the  inclined  strata  of  the  uplifts  and  the  exis- 
tence of  cracks  or  the  locally  porous  nature  of  the  overlying  con- 
fining strata.  The  town  well  at  Enterprise  probably  draws  upon 
the  Nanafalia  sands  for  its  supply,  and  in  its  relatively  small 
amount  of  dissolved  solids,  the  sulphates  are  slightly  predomi- 
nant over  the  carbonates.  The  deep  borings  of  the  Ozark  City 
water  works  will  probably  reach  the  lower  strata  of  the  Tertiary. 
For  a  deep  well  this  water  is  of  rather  exceptional  character,  bo-- 
ing a  normal  calcic  alkaline  bicarbonated  water,  and  more  like  a 
spring  or  shallow  well  water  than  a  deep  well  water.  This 
composition  and  the  relatively  small  amount  of  dissolved  solids 
insures  its  suitability  for  a  city  supply. 

We  have  as  yet  too  few  analyses  of  waters  from  the  Tertiary 
deep  wells  to  justify  any  serious  attempt  at  a  geological  or  geo- 
graphical classification. 

From  this  comparison  of  the  analyses  of  the  bored  well  waters 
derived  from  the  three  Cretaceous  formations  we  are  led  to 
the  following  conclusions ;  ( I )  The  strata  of  the  Tuscaloosa  and 
of  the  Blue  Marl  or  Ripley  formations  yield  waters  of  the  al- 
kaline class,  which  includes  the  waters  best  suited  for  domestic 
use.  The  waters  from  the  Tuscaloosa  as  a  rule,  do  not  holu 
more  than  200  to  250  parts  per  million  of  solids,  while  thos'e 
from  the  Blue  Marl  hold  in  general  between  350  and  400  parts. 

In  all  the  Blue  Marl  waters,  and  in  those  from  the  Tusca- 
loosa east  of  Montgomery,  the  sodium  predominates  over  the 
calcium,  while  in  the  Tuscaloosa  waters  westward  from  Mont- 
gomery, as  a  rule,  the  calcium  is  predominant.  The  larger 
proportion  of  total  s'olids  in  the  Blue  Marl  waters  seems  to  be 
due  to  a  relatively  larger  proportion  of  the  sulphates  and 
chlorides,  the  proportion  of  carbonates  in  these  and  the  Tusca- 
loosa waters  being  approximately  the  same. 

(2)  The  waters  from  the  Eutaw  sands  are  more  highly 
charged  with  mineral  matters'  than  those  from  the  other  two 
formations,  the  total  solids  ranging  on  an  average  from  400  to 
5000  parts'  per  million. 

Of  the  dissolved  mineral  matters,  common  salt  (sodium  chlo- 
ride) is  usually  the  most  important  and  characteristic,  although 


GENERALIZATIONS  :    DEEP  WELL  WATERS.  341 

in  two  of  the  analyses  the  sulphates  are  in  excess.  Because 
of  this  high  percentage  of  salt  most  of  these  waters  fall  into 
the  alkaline-saline  and  saline  classes.  Even  in  the  two  waters 
in  which  the  carbonates  predominate  the  proportion  of  salt  is 
notable.  While  by  reason  of  the  large  amount  of  dissolved 
solids  which  they  contain,  the  waters  from  the  Eutaw  sands 
are  not  so  well  suited  for  domestic  purposes  as  those  from  the 
other  formations,  yet  they  are  very  extensively  so  used  in  the 
"prairie"  or  "Black  belt",  where  the  surface  waters  are  defi- 
cient. By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  bored  wells'  of  which  we 
have  records  are  in  this  prairie  belt  and  derive  their  supply 
from  the  underlying  Eutaw  sands. 

The  following  extracts  with  accompanying  sketch  map,  taken 
from  the  Report  of  the  Alabama  Coastal  Plain,  pages  306  and 
307,  may  possibly  throw  some  light  upon  the  relations  of  the 
Cretaceous  formations  which  have  been  instrumental  in  causing 
thes'e  differences  in  the  waters  from  the  different  formations  and 
from  the  geographically  different  parts  of  the  same  formation. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Tuscaloosa  formation  is  of 
fresh  water  origin  while  the  ethers  are,  prevalently  at  least, 
marine. 


342          CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  CRETACEOUS  FORMATIONS.  343 

"An  examination  of  the  distribution  of  the  Cretaceous  for- 
mations in  the  adjoining  states  will  make  the  condition  of 
things  in  Alabama  more  easily  understood,  and  for  this'  purpose 
the  accompanying  sketch  map  has  been  prepared,  Plate  XVI. 
Of  all  the  Cretaceous  formations  the  Tuscaloosa  is  the  most 
widely  distributed.  It  continues  eastward  along  the  foot  hills 
of  the  Appalachians  to  Maryland  and  beyond.  The  other  divi- 
sions have  not  been  traced  eastward  beyond  the  western  part 
of  Georgia.  The  map  will  show  how  in  the  upper  half  of  Ten- 
nessee' the  whole  Cretaceous,  above  the  Tuscaloo«a,  is  repre- 
sented by  littoral  or  offshore  deposits,  chiefly  sandy,  in  which 
there  are  a  few  fossils  of  Eutaw  species'  in  the  eastern  or 
lower  part,  and  of  Ripley  species  in  the  western.  In  the  eas- 
tern part  of  Alabama  we  have  a  similar  state  of  things,  for 
along  the  Chattahoochee  River  the  lower  parts  of  these  sandy 
strata  hold  Eutaw  species'  and  the  rest  Ripley  species,  all  the 
strata  being  of  littoral  or  off-shore  character.  Below  the  cen- 
tral line  in  Tennessee  the  chalky  beds  of  the  Rotten  Limestone 
wedge  in  between  these  two  sandy  series  and  gradually  narrow 
down  or  crowd  out  the  upper  or  Ripley  portion  of  them,  so 
there  is  a  good  stretch  of  •  county  in  northeastern  Mississippi 
where  the  chalky  strata  represent  the  entire  series  above  the 
Eutaw  sands,  and  border  upon  the  Tertiary  formations,  in  di- 
rect contradistinction  to  what  we  have  seen  in  northern  Ten- 
nessee and  eastern  Alabama,  where  beds'  of  the  Ripley  aspect 
represent  the  entire  series  above  the  Eutaw.  In  Sumter  county, 
Alabama,  or  perhaps  in  the  immediately  adjacent  parts  of  Miss- 
issippi, the  Ripley  beds  set  in  again  as  a  margin  of  the  chalk 
area,  at  first  narrow,  but  widening  out  towards  the  east,  until 
beyond  Macon  county,  Alabama,  it  represents  the  whole  upper 
series  as  above  stated.  From  this  we  may  also  infer  a  good 
deal  concerning  the  conditions  which  prevailed  during  the  dep- 
osition of  these  Cretaceous  beds,  for  we  see  that  in  the  central 
part  of  this  area,  extending  from  Macon  county,  Alabama, 
around  to  the  central  part  of  Tennes'see,  deep  or  open  sea  pre- 
vailed during  the  greater  part  of  the  upper  Cretaceous 
times,  while  contemporaneously,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Ala- 
bama and  the  northern  part  of  Tennessee  shallow  water  or  off- 
shores  deposits  were  accumulating." 


344     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

An  extended  discussion  of  mineral  waters  from  the  point  of 
view  of  their  therapeutic,  or  curative  action  upon  the  human 
system,  would  be  foreign  to  the  intent  of  this  report,  which 
is  to  give  a  general  account  of  the  underground  waters  of  Ala- 
bama. It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  mineral  waters  with  which 
our  State  of  Alabama  abounds,  may  be  considered  later  in  a 
special  report,  after  fuller  investigations  and  more  numerous 
analyses. 

A  few  words  may  nevertheless'  be  appropriate  here  concern- 
ing the  chemical  relations  of  potable  and  mineral  waters,  and 
sanitary  and  unsanitary  waters,  and  concerning  the  limitations 
of  a  chemical  analysis  in  discriminating  betwen  them. 

The  characteristics  of  a  good  drinking  water  have  been  de- 
fined as  follows1:  (i)  It  should  be  clear  and  limpid.  (2)  it 
should  be  colorless.  (3)  It  should  be  odorless,  especially  free 
from  sulphuretted  hydrogen  or  putrefactive  animal  matter.  (4) 
It  should  be  cool.  (5)  It  should  have  an  agreeable  taste :  neither 
flat,  nor  salty,  nor  sweetish.  (6)  It  should  be  free  from  dis- 
ease germs.  (7)  It  should  be  free  from  all  other  substances 
mineral  or  organic,  injurious  in  the  human  system;  especially 
from  dissolved  organic  matter  of  animal  origin.  (8)  While 
a  certain  amount  of  saline  matter  is  necessary  to  give  the  water 
a  good  taste,  the  total  amount  of  dissolved  solids  should  not  as 
a  rule  exceed  500  or  600  parts  per  million,  including  not  more 
than  30  or  40  parts  per  million  of  chlorine.  A  certain  amount 
of  gases',  consisting  of  carbon  dioxide  and  air  (oxygen  and 
nitrogen),  is  also  essential  to  give  life  to  the  water  and  to  save 
it  from  flatness. 

The  first  five  of  these  are  physical  characters,  determined 
by  the  appearance,  or  the  smell  or  the  taste,  and  not  by  a 
chemical  analysis.  The  sixth  and  seventh  are  the  characters 
that  distinguish  a  sanitary  from  an  unsanitary  water,  and  these 
are  determined  either  by  microscopic  examination  or  by  a  "san- 
itary" chemical  analysis,  which  is  quite  a  different  thing  from 
the  ordinary  mineral  analysis.  It  is  therefore  only  the  eighth 
characteristic  which  falls  in  the  domain  of  the  usual  analytical 
methods. 


SANITARY  ANALYSIS.  345 

Sanitary  Analysis. — No  fact  has  been  more  clearly  demon- 
strated than  that  diseases  may  be  disseminated  by  water,  and 
it  is  equally  certain  in  some  cases,  and  probable  in  all,  that 
these  diseases  are  due  to  microscopic  organisms  which  flour- 
ish best  in  solutions  of  organic  matter  of  animal  origin,  hence 
the  common  belief  that  waters'  contaminated  by  decaying  animal 
matters  or  refuse  are  most  dangerous  to  health.  The  micro- 
scopic organisms  above  referred  to  may  be  detected  by  exami- 
nation with  microscope  by  a  competent  observer.  A  number 
of  specific  disease  germs,  such  as  the  germ  of  typhoid  fever, 
are  well  known,  and  when  these  are  detected  in  the  water  there 
can  be  no  question  of  its  unsanitary  character.  Such  exami- 
nations, however,  belong  to  the  bacteriologist  and  not  to  the 
chemist. 

The  nitrogenous  animal  matters  which  sustain  the  life  of 
these  disease  germs,  in  the  process  of  their  decomposition  in 
waters,  yield  "albuminoid"  ammonia,  (or  ammonia  from  or- 
ganic nitrogen,)  and  this  by  further  decomposition  yields  in 
succession  nitrous  and  nitric  acids  which  combine  with  bases 
present  to  form  nitrites  and  nitrates  respectively. 

The  presence,  therefore,  of  certain  minimum  amounts  of  al- 
buminoid ammonia  (as  distinguished  from  free  ammonia  or 
ammonia  salts),  and  of  nitrites  and  nitrates  may  lead  to  well 
grounded  conclusions  as  to  the  amount  of  decomposing  (pol- 
luting) organic  matter  and  the  stage  of  the  decomposition. 
If  only  the  nitrates  are  present  the  inference  is  that  the  water, 
if  previously  contaminated  by  decaying  animal  matters,  has 
again  become  pure  through  their  removal  by  complete  decom- 
position. But  waters  holding  a  notable  amount  of  organic  am- 
monia or  of  nitrites  or  of  both,  would  still  contain  the  material 
upon  which  disease  germs  thrive,  and  would  therefore  be  dan- 
gerous to  health. 

All  natural  waters  contain  some  chlorine,  but  when  the 
amount  in  a  potable  water  exceeds  50  parts  per  million,  the 
suspicion  is  that  this  excess  is  due  to  the  pollution  of  the  water 
by  sewage  or  animal  excretions.  An  inspection  of  the  analyses 
given  in  the  tables  above,  will  show  that  the  waters  from 
many  of  our  deep  wells,  where  there  can  be  no  question  of 
contamination,  contain  much  more  than  50  parts  per  million 
of  chlorine,  so  that  in  considering  the  amount  of  chlorine  as 
an  indication  of  contamination,  the  source  of  the  water  as  well 


346     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

as  the  normal  chlorine  content  of  the  waters  of  the  particular 
district,  must  be  taken  into  account.  In  itself,  therefore,  the 
amount  of  chlorine  in  a  water  is  no  evidence  of  contamination. 

In  similar  manner  the  presence  of  albuminoid  ammonia  and 
of  nitrites  in  excess  of  an  accepted  limit,  while  it  may  throw 
suspicion  upon  the  water  as  to  its  sanitary  character  is  by 
no  means'  a  certain  evidence  thereof.  In  fact  it  is  doubtful 
if  any  purely  chemical  examination  of  a  water  can  always 
be  relied  upon  to  establish  its  s'anitary  or  unsanitary  character. 
Of  course,  where  these  suspicious  matters  are  present  in  large 
excess,  or  where  even)  normally  harmiless  constituents  are 
present  in  quantities  like  1,000  or  more  parts  per  million,  the 
chemical  analysis  might  be  conclusive ;  as  would  be  the  case 
also  if  among  the  mineral  constituents  of  the  water  there  were 
found  any  actively  poisonous  compounds. 

While  there  are  many  who  are  firm  in  the  belief  that  the 
character  of  a  water  may  be  centainly  determined  by  the  "san- 
itary analysis"  above  referred  to,  some  of  the  most  experienced 
investigators  of  the  subject  have  been  forced  to  the  opposite 
conclusion.  In  a  paper  on  "The  Futility  of  a  Sanitary  water 
analysis  as'  a  test  of  potability"*  Mr.  Marshall  O.  Leighton  of 
the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  contends,  and  we  think 
proves  by  citation  of  many  analyses,  that  "the  sanitary  anal- 
ysis offers  nothing  by .  which  one  may  positively  distinguish 
between  a  dangerous  and  a  wholesome  water."  Dr.  William 
M.  Drown  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  the  students  of  sanitary 
problems,  in  speaking  of  the  sanitary  analysis,  is  quoted  as 
saying  :t  "My  long  experience  in  this  line  of  work  has  im- 
pressed me  with  many  doubts  concerning  its  value." 

Analysis  of  Mineral  Waters  — When  we  undertake  by  a 
chemical  analysis  to  determine  the  mineral  or  medicinal  charac- 
ter of  a  water  we  are  confronted  with  difficulties  that  in  some 
cases  appear  to  be  insuperable.  When  the  analysis  reveals  the 
presence  in  the  water  of  very  notable  amounts  of  Epsom  or 
Glauber  salts,  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  or  iron,  or  of  other 
active  medicinal  compounds,  there  is1  no  difficulty  in  pronoun- 
cing upon  its  mineral  character  or  in  forming  an  opinion  as 
to  the  constituents  to  which. the  medicinal  virtue  is  due. 


*Reprint  from  Biological  Studies  by  the  Pupils  of  William  Thomp- 
son Sedg\A'ick,  Boston  1906,  page  36  and  following. 
fReprint  above  quoted,  page  48. 


ANALYSIS  OF  MINERAL  WATERS.  347 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  many  springs  which  have  rightly 
acquired  great  reputation  for  the  curative  properties  of  their 
waters,  which  upon  chemical  analysis  are  found  to  be  not  so 
highly  mineralized  as  the  majority  of  potable  waters,  and  to 
contain  nothing  by  which  their  medicinal  character  can  be  ac- 
counted for.  Judged  by  the  chemical  analysis  many  of  these 
waters  would  be  pronounced  exceptionally  pure  waters'  of  the 
alkaline  bicarbonated  or  alkaline  saline  class,  often  with  less 
than  100  parts  per  million  of  dissolved  mineral  matters. 

Many  analyses  of  mineral  waters  are  thus  a  distinct  disap- 
pointment to  the  proprietors  of  the  springs  and  to  the  doctors', 
who  naturally,  in  view  of  the  well  established  curative  character 
of  the  waters,  expect  the  analysis  to  reveal  the  presence  in 
large  amount  of  some  substance  of  unequivocal  therapeutic 
value.  , 

These  analyses  are  also  sometimes  a  source  of  embarrassment 
to  the  chemist,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  extract 
from  a  letter  just  received  at  this  office : 

— ,  March  6,  1907. 

Dear  Sir: — I  spent  one  day  this  week  with at 

He  has  what  he  thinks  is  a  very  fine  mineral 

spring  there.  He  had  the  water  analyzed  once,  by  Mr.  R.  S. 
Hodges,  I  believe.  He  is  not  quite  satisfied  with  the  analysis, 
however,  as  the  doctors  say  the  water  produces  a  greater  effect 
than  is  indicated  in  the  analysis." 

The  water  in  question  contains  less  than  50  parts  per  million 
of  mineral  matters,  consisting  mainly  of  the  carbonate,  chlo- 
ride and  sulphate  of  sodium.  The  proportion  of  iron  is'  rela- 
tively large  but  the  calcium  and  magnesium  are  in  smaller 
amounts.  The  inference  would  be  that  the  curative  effects  of 
the  water  were  due  to  the  presence  of  the  iron  salts  and  the 
sulphate  of  sodium,  but  the  small  amount  of  mineral  matters 
of  any  kind  seems  to  be  the  stumbling  block. 

In  this'  connection  I  cannot  perhaps  do  better  than  quote 
some  of  the  statements  of  a  distinguished  student  of  the  Min- 
eral Waters  of  the  United  States'.*  "A  number  of  the  waters 
included,  and  of  importance  commercially,  would  be  consid- 


*A.  0.  Peale.    Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Director  of  the  U, 
S.  Geological  Survey,  page  57. 


348     CHEMISTRY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  ALABAMA  WATERS. 

ered  indifferent  when  viewed  in  the  light  of  their  chemical 
composition,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  some  very  pure 
waters  have  an  undoubted  therapeutical  effect,  and  that  chem- 
ical analysis,  which  is  absolutely  reliable  only  in  its  estimation 
of  basic  salts  and  acids,  will  not  always  explain  the  medicinal 
effect  of  a  water,  and  that  small  quantities  of  some  constitu- 
ents are  often  more  effective  as  remedial  agents  than  others 
that  are  present  in  larger  quantities."  It  might  be  well  also 
to  bear  in  mind  that  a  given  amount  of  a  medicinal  substance 
taken  into  the  system  along  with  a  large  amount  of  water, 
may  be  quite  as'  effective  as  the  same  amount  taken  in  more 
concentrated  form;  in  other  words,  that  the  actual  amount  in 
parts  per  million  of  the  ingredients  of  a  mineral  water  (i.  e. 
its  concentration),  is  of  less  importance  than  the  relative  pro- 
portions of  these  ingredients. 

In  the  light  of  recent  discoveries,  it  seems  highly  probable 
that  the  curative  effect  of  some  mineral  waters'  of  this  kino 
may  be  due  to  the  presence  of  radium  or  of  some  radio-active 
substance,  which  the  ordinary  chemical  analysis  does  not  reveal. 

While  the  ordinary  limit  of  the  amount  of  total  solids  in  a 
potable  water  is  put  at  500  to  600  parts  per  million,  it  will  be 
easily  understod  that  if  the  sulphate  of  s'odium,  or  magnesium, 
or  other  active  medicinal  salts,  make  any  considerable  propor- 
tion of  these  total  solids,  it  would  unfit  the  water  for  constant 
use.  Conversely,  some  waters  with  a  far  greater  amount  of 
total  solids'  than  600  parts  per  million,  may  be  used  for  drink- 
ing purposes  if  certain  substances,  notably  common  salt  and 
alkaline  carbonates,  constitute  the  major  part  of  these  solids. 

Many  mineral  waters  of  repute  are  among  the  purest  of 
potable  waters,  and  s'ome,  even  if  they  contain  substances  of 
active  therapeutical  value,  may  be  tolerated  by  the  human  sys- 
tem and,  if  the  dilution  is  sufficiently  great,  may  serve  as  a  po- 
table waters. 

Concerning,  however,  the  use  of  such  strong  medicinal  wa- 
ters as  those  described  under  our  s'ulphated  saline  class,  some 
comment  may  not  be  amiss,  and  in  this  connection  the  words 
of  Dr.  E.  W.  Hilgard,  in  that  LOO  little  known  and  appreciated, 
but  best  of  all  State  Reports,  the  "Agriculture  and  Geology 
of  Mississippi,"  (p.  286)  are  quoted:  "It  cannot  be  too 
strongly  urged  upon  the  inhabitants  of  these  regions  *  * 
*  *  *  *  that  the  habitual  us'e  of  mineral  water  proper  of 


USE  OF  MINERAL  WATERS.  349 

any  kind,  is  no  more  rational  than  would  be  the  use  of  any  other 
medicine,  with  persons  in  a  normal  state  of  health.  It  is  often 
said  that  mineral  waters  are  "Nature's  own  remedy,"  which 
may  be  true  enough,  provided  there  is  something  to  be  reme- 
died. The  Epsom  salt,  Glauber's  salt,  etc.,  contained  in  these 
waters,  are  no  less  purgative,  debilitating,  and  therefore  inju- 
rious to  persons  in  good  health,  than  the  same  articles  are 
when  derived  from  the  druggist's  vials.' 


TABLES   OF   ANALYSES 

OF 

ALABAMA   WATERS 


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d  ^  t-  o  GO  d 

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CO  O  (N  O 
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113311  'Suiads  sauof  'i  uapj^H 


•A*;imoo  X 


'H  ' 


ajorapii,  '3 


qqig 


'Siiuds 


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iH  Ci  (M*  O 
O  iO  rH  CO 

CO  O  O 


ic  q  oo  CM 

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CM  HHGOO 

ic  co  co 


CO  C^l  CO 


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IO  00 


TH    b-LC    b- 

TH    t~    X    1C 

T-  X 


c^i  ^'  10  co 

00  O 


CO  Oi  CO 
r-I  C-i  CO 


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(M  CO  CO  X 


co  <N  ic  o 
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000 

t^d 

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co 


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co  d 


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d  co 
x  ic 


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I-  CO 


HH  OO  I-  CO 

t-  d  L^  x 


1C  CO 

ci  d 

O  CM 


CO  CM 
t-  1C 


^ 


•99 


26 


03 


300 


TABLE  V.  ACID  WATERS, 
b.  sulphated. 


<$ 

00 

pa* 

t-             »." 

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^j> 

> 

0 

bT 

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§g 

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a^ 

&| 

ftS 

Constituent.                 o 

^ 

^S 
QQ 

»s      ft's 

02            .      P 

|S 

-H 

§§ 

S° 

Potassium  (K) 

* 

ini          IQ;        141           T  A        iPi« 

33  0 

Sodium    (Na)          _           _     — 

*          48          69 

3791        576        519 

76  9 

Magnesium    (Mg) 

9§  2        °3  0        37  4 

258  6        78  0      235  1 

2780 

Calcium   (Ca) 

93  g'       65  0        8S  4 

3153      3224      3008 

373  4 

Manganese  (Mn) 

LJG  (5 

Iron    (Fe-ferrous) 

90  5    1085  0 

1358  8 

Iron   (Fe-ferric) 

7  1 

44  6 

86  6      204  1    1038  4 

4013  7 

Aluminum   (Al) 

7  9 

32  2 

132  8:       33  2 

69  8 

Iron  oxide  (FeaOs)  and 

alumina  (AlsOa) 

42  6 

Chlorine   (Cl) 

* 

# 

354  5        78  3        42  3 

532 

Sulphuric  acid   (SO*) 

276  0 

3360      6180 

2283  3    2493  3    6434  8 

15130  3 

Sulphuric  acid-free  (HzSO*)  . 

199        30^7 

Bi-Carbonic  acid  (HCO3)  

7.1 

Silica  (SiO2) 

50  0 

35  4        34  5 

92  4      131  2        86  4 

103  7 

619.6 

511.8i     871.0 

3783.9    3615.7    9354.4 

21490.8 

*  Trace;  percentage  not  determined. 


361 


'sunn  ' 


s£paojxnv  'J,  'A 


-punoH  ' 


'V   T 


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ci 


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coed    'odor-i 


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co*  oi 

1O  rH 


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CO  W3  00  b- 


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(M 


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00  CO 


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rH  rH 


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t^  iq  co  co      Th 

rH      '  1O  1O         b^ 


CO  TtJ  <M_  1O 
corn     -ci 


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07  Cvj  rH 


q  t^  rfi  10  GO 

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O5  CO 


CO 


6: 


362 


TABLE  VII.  WATERS  DERIVED  FROM,  EUTAW  SANDS. 
CLASS.  Ilia  IVb  Ilia  Illb  II  II  Ilia  Ilia  Ilia  IVa  Ilia  Ilia  IVb  IVa  IVa  Ilia 

'A^unoo 
cSu9JUi/\[  'ugpun  'n9-^-  3IlQ.ncI 

*    0  CO  01 

O  rH  I- 

.1 

O  rH 
1C  1C 

*    (M  X 
OS  I- 
b- 

OS        O 

%     o 

b- 

*  Trace;  percentage  not  determined. 

'£}unoo  ii9}uing  'A"uiBn9g 
'H9AV  s;oo  agqranq  uosniV 

CI  O  rH  CO 

CI  O 

CO  1C  X 

b-        O 

Is 

ro  o:  co  o 

rH  OS  HH  CO 
OS          rH 

1C  X 

1 

X  1C 
b- 

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O  -f  X  d 

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!  co  co 

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1^^ 

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yi  q  co  01 
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C.^1  rH 
b- 

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q  os 

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't  CO  CI 

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CO  't 

00  CO  CO 

t'    1C    Tf 

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CO        Cl 
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9U99Jf)     'AYB^ng;     '119^  duinQ 

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1-  rH 

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t^-          ^H 

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rHOSX 
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ci  ic 

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CI 

ci  ci 

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co  co  ci 

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co 

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'IJ9A\.    ''Jf    S9UOf    UOSIp13J\[  j 

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cococics 

CO  1C 

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s 
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Carbonic  acid  (HCO3) 
Silica  (SiOa)  - 

Depth  of  well  (feet) 

«s^"ir    ^^^"^ 
~£a5    ^o5£ 

S!  ,     B^,  ,     Dr^^^"  ' 

Q>  "2  "^    <D    <D 

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M  s  c  .2          ce  ^  E 
^^wiortrtc^g 
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fc  QQ  SS  W  »-5  5      Offl 

363 


ARY  STRATA. 

Nanafalia.  |  Clayton. 
IVa  I  IIIb  II 

M  ^olTa^o 

Ci  TH  b^  b^ 

c-i  d  b^  t^ 

Tjn  to  x  q  co 

r-i  CO  X  Cl.ld 

CO  ^ 
rH 

CO  0 

*  Present,  but  percentage  not  determined. 

oojpo  '9siJdJ83ug[  'ip-^  UAVOJ, 

t-    '  id 

rH         CO 

q  q  ci  rn  10 

ci  »d  d  ci  ci 

rH  Tfl  CO  rH 

Ci  x 

£  § 

rH 

•A^imoo  AVBqs 

-U9JO   'A"9|}UBJa   'IPA\   UAYOJ, 

CO  TH  CO  CO 
TH  HH  id  IO 

a  i-  T-  »r:  i* 

rH  IO  CO 
rH 

£  M 
CM 

'sSuudg    raonnQ    'll8^    d99Q 

q  q  co  Ci 
TH  co  id  •^- 

Cl  rfi  CO  b- 

X  Ci  *    LO  Ci 
CO  00        b-^  Ci 

CO  Q 

),  AND  TERTl 

ry. 
Hatchetigbee. 
IVa  IVa 

'uos}[OBf  "119AV  Jnqd{ng 

c-icooq 

x  d  d  T^' 

CO  TH  O 

Ci 

CO  IO  -^  rH  X  * 

q  o 

b- 

CI  CO  O  t-  b- 

CO          CO  rH 
-t        CJ 

•oo  a^l^lO  'll9A?L  ll"68  P1O 

q  q  TJH  x 

TH  Tt^  r-i  C-l 
tH 
rH 

M  O  #    r-i  <N 

id  d      d  x 

C~l        Cl 

00 

1—  1 

b- 

co 

'PER  CRETACEOUS  (BLUE  MARL 

Tertia 
Miocene  cr  pliocene. 
Ilia  Ilia  IVa  IVa  II 

^•«2ST, 

CO  <Mt  L-  10  X  CO             i  00  TtJ  rH  CI 

-•M'  ci  co  x  co  ci        j  c-i  ci  ^  id 

CO  t- 

s  s 

r-  1 

JBSU  'n^-^  s<  °o  no  uo^oo 

f-  o  rr  TH 
^|^^ 

T-i 

.  )"      co  ca 

d      rH  ci 

i  -H          X  rH 
1   Tf            CI 

1  rH 

t-;  O 

CS 

'~oq'      cV 

r^  53 

'S9UIBO   '^   'I19AV   }U9UIUJ9AOO 

rH 

CO  rt  C  r-;  Ci 

-H  ci  ci  d  co 
Ci      ci  ic 

rH 

9liqO]/\[    'IJ9AV    1-IOd   BUIBqBJV 

*    CI  #    CO 

rH  b-  O  rH  IO 

CQ  O 

o  ^ 

T-  CO  TH  Ci  CO 
rH         (M  CO 

rH          rH 

noA"Ba  'llaA^  A*jo}oi3j  SUIUUBO 

b-  IO  rH  IO 
CO  T»H  rH  CO 
O 

X  O  O  Ci  b- 
rH  Cl'  *&  ^  X 

"t         X  Tfl 

^  s 

d 

TABLE  VIII.  WATERS  FROM  UI 

Cretaceous. 
Blue  Marl. 
CLASS.  11  II  II  II  II 

°A"}unoo  jnoqjBa 
'BinBjna  'H9AV  s(dojq;ino]A[ 

rH  Ci  X  IO 

co  d    '  co 

CO 

Ci  1"-  CO  GO  Ci 

rH  CO  id  Cl'  »d 

rH         b-  TH 

q  o 

'STJJBH  '119^  s.doqsia  'H  '0 

X  CO  TH  CO 

co  id  id  ci 

X 

co  »c  q  q  q 

»C  t~  rH  rH  X 

rH  CO  T-  rH 

2  I 

•oo  JnoqjBa  'uo^X'Bio  vcesu 
'lpA\  s/oo  doqsia-Jsraoo 

co  x  ::  q 

b-         rH 

C  i-  CO  b-  rH 

tj  i-  b-'  ci  x 

TH  <M  rH  Cl 

<M  b- 

1  * 

•X;unoo  Jnoqj'Ba  'HO^BIO 

'H9M    S^JOAV    ja^BAi    ^^0 

q  rfj  q  10 
"^.c*  d  o^ 

O  Cl  b-  IO  X 

d  rH  id  id  d 

Cl  (Cl  O  <N 

rH 

d  § 

A}unoo  UO^SUIAOO  'BIS 
-uiBpuy  'lle/A  S/°D  HO  UG^OO 

X  O  iM  IO 

CO  TH  rH 

O  IO  b-  IO 
^£g 

<M  0 

ci  $2 

rH  ^ 

•^nl30OT 

G 
9 

cc 

c 

0 

u 

Potassium  (K) 
Sodium  (Na) 
Magnesium  (Mg) 
Calcium  (Ca) 
Iron  (Fe) 

Alumina  rAl,O,^ 

%       ~6    *          5 
S      S§    1         £ 

Mjo-goWg               «g 

M    00200]  E         P 

INDEX. 


Absorption  of  underground  waters 34 

Acid  waters,  chemical  discussion,   (Table  V) 334 

Alakline  waters,  chemical  discussion,  (Tables  I  and  II) 328 

Alkaline-saline  waters,  in  chemical  discussion,  (Table  III) 331 

Amount  of  water  absorbed  by  porous  rocks,  52 ;  available  to  ar- 
tesian wells,  35. 
Analyses  of  Alabama  Waters — 

Alabama  Port  well.  Mobile 311 

Alabama  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Dekalb 77 

Allen,  Thomas  B.  well,  Hale 159 

Allison  Lumber  Co.  wells.  Suinter 143 

Altman,  W.  A.  well,   Sumter 133 

American  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Mobile 308 

Auxford,  Y.  T.  wells,  Tuscaloosa 121 

Aw  in  and  vicinity  springs,  Monroe 276 

Bailey   Springs,  Lauderdale__  103 

Bassetts  Creek  Sulphur  Well  at  Jackson,  Clarke 285 

Beavers.  Dr.  J.  A.  shallow  well,  Sumter 321 

Bishop,  C.  H.  well,  Barbour 243 

Bladon  Springs,  Choctaw 292 

Blount   Springs  and  vicinity,   Blount 78 

Borden-Wheeler    springs,    Cleburne 81 

Brantley  town  well,  Crenshaw 262 

Bright,  John  W.  shallow  well.  Mobile 306 

Brilliant  Coal  Mines  well,  Marion 96 

Bromberg   Springs,    Mobile 304 

Butler  Springs,  Butler 265 

Cahaba  River  water  near  Leeds,  Jefferson 317 

Chambers   Springs,   Talladega 68 

Chandler's  Springs,  Talladega 67 

Cherokee  Springs,  Citronelle,   Mobile 314 

Clayton  city  well,  Barbour . 244 

Cold   Springs,   Blount-- 79 

Comer-Bishop  Co.   well,   Barbour 242 

Cook  Springs,  St.  Clair__                                                89 

Cox,  E.  T.  spring,  Jefferson , 87 

Crassdale  plantation  well,  Greene 1  •">•". 

Cullom   Springs  well,   Choctaw 1!'.»T 

Demopolis  city  wells,  Marengo 184 

DeSoto  spring,  Jefferson 90 

Dump  well  Eutaw,  Greene__  153 

Elliott,  J.  A.  &  Son,  Hale 160 

Enterprise  well,   Coffee 258 

Epes  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Sumter : 140 

Evans  Station  well,  Hale 319 

Evans  Station  and  vicinity  wells,  Hale 320 

Kutaw  and  vicinity  wells,  Greene 152 

Eutaw  city  well,  Hale 153 

a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


366  INDEX. 

Exchange  hotel  well,  Montgomery 212 

Ferrill,  C.  C.  well,  Dallas 195 

Forman,  W.  E.  shallow  well,  Morgan 104 

Fort  Gaines  well.   Mobile___ 312 

(Jury  Springs,  Bibb 83 

Glenville  and  vicinity  wells,  Russell 237 

Glenwood  springs.  Blonnt 1 80 

Greensboro  city  wells,  Hale ; 167 

Hale.  Dr.  R.  H.  shallow  well.  Sumter__                            134 

Ihmlenburgh.  S.  well.  Hale  _                                      172 

Harrell.  AY.  J.  shallow  well,  Bloimt 80 

Hawkins  well,  Leeds  mineral  water,  Jefferson 70 

Healing   Springs,   Washington— 300 

Hightower,  B.  shallow  well,  Sumter 134 

Holt  wells,  Tnscaloosa 99 

Hosiery-mill   well,   Tnscaloosa 98 

Ingram   well,    Calhoun 82 

Ivey.  G.  A.  well,  Escambia 273 

Jones,  Harden  L.  spring,  Smuter 132 

Landers,  A.  M.  shallow  well,  Calhonn 83 

Linden  courthouse  well,  Marengo 188 

Little  Egypt  well,  Greene 153 

Livingston  and  vicinity  wells,  Sumter 142 

Lock  No.  8,  well  Black  Warrior  River,  Hale 319 

Lock  No.  7  well.  Hale 166 

McGraw,  W.  H.  Caledonia  shallow  well,  Wilcox 280 

McLendon,  W.  J.    (Oswichee)    well,  Russell 235 

Mentone   Springs,   Dekalb 91 

Mills,  C.  B.  well,  Sumter 133 

Mobile  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Mobile 308 

Moore,  T.  G.  spring,   Hale 319 

Moulthrop,  brickyard  well,  Barbour 241 

Oyster  Canning  Co.  well  mouth  of  Bayou  Labatre,  Mobile 313 

Ozment  spring,  Tnscaloosa 116 

Ozark  town  well.  Dale 250 

Perry.  Capt.  E.  C.  well,  Russell 238 

Pittsboro  public  well,  Russell 237 

Prattville  and  vicinity  wells,  Autauga 216 

Ropers  shallow  well,  Butler 265 

Salt  well.  Clarke 287 

Sanaqna  Mineral  Water,  Madison 318 

Selma  City  Waterworks  well,  Dallas 195 

Shelby   Springs.    Shelby 75 

Smith,  John  B.  shallow  well,  Cherokee 83 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Covington 260 

St.  Clair  Springs.  St.  Clair 74 

Stuarts  Springs,  Schuster.  Wilcox__  281 

Tallndega    Springs.   Talladega 75 

Towne   Spring,   Jefferson !><> 

Tidmore.   J.   C.    wells,   Perry 181 

Tunnel    Sprins   springs,    Monroe  27 

Union  Springs  city  waterworks  well.  Bullock 229 

University  of  Alabama,  spring.  Tnscaloosa 116 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


INDEX.  367 

Waller,  Lichtman  &  Murphy  Land  &  Development  Co.  well 

Hale     162 

Wedgworth,  W.  M.  wells,  Hale 164 

Williford's  Landing  well,  Tuscaloosa 122 

Analyses  of  Alabama  waters  in  Classified  Tables  _                 .__  351 

Animal  precipitation  map 30 

Temperature  map   _                                                                     28 

Appalachian  division,  details  of  underground  water  in 66 

Geological  characters 6 

Appalachian  Valleys.  Geological  characters,  7 ;  Details  of  un- 
derground waters  in 71,317 

Artesian  prospects 85 

Mineral  waters 72 

Shallow  waters 71 

Surface  features 71 

Arrangement  of  strata  in  Alabama  Coastal  plain 61 

Artesian  wells,  defined,  51 ;  general  discussion  concerning,  52 ; 
essential  conditions  of  ,52 ;  modifying  conditions,  57 ;  de- 
cline or  failure  of,  62 ;  character  of  water  of,  63 ;  Judge 
Mobley's  list  of  in  Greene  county,  146. 

Artesian  wells,  shallow  wells,  and  springs,  referred  to  in  this 
report.  List  of. 

Abraham   Church  well,   Montgomery 214 

Adams,  Mrs.  well.  Pickens i 130 

Adams,  D.  well,  Macon 222 

Adams,  James  well.  Macon ; 222 

Adams,  R.  B.  well,  r.  Russell 236 

Agnew,  Peyton  well.  Hale 170 

Akron  &  Vicinity  wells.  Hale 161 

Alabama  City  well,  Etowah 93 

Alabama  Portland  Cement  Co.  well,  Demopolis,  Marengo 185 

Alabama  Polytechnic  Institute  well,  Auburn,  r.  Lee 223 

Alabama  Port  well,  a.  Mobile 311 

Alabama  White  Sulphur  Springs,  a.  Dekalb 76 

Alexander,  Alex,  well,  Greene 156 

Alexander  City  wells,  Tallapoosa   70 

Alexander,  J.  S.  wells,  Perry 178 

Alexander,  W.  B.  wells.  Perry 178 

Aliceville  &  Vicinity  wells.  Piekens 125 

Allen.  B.  M.  well.  Hale 175 

Allen,  Mrs.  Charles  well.  Marengo 186 

Allen,  R.  P.  well,  r.  Marengo 185 

Allen.  Thomas  B.  well.  a.  Hale 159 

Allison  Lumber  Co.  wells,  a.  r.  Sumter 142 

Alston.  S.  F.  well,  r.  Tuscaloosa IIS 

Altman.  \V.  A.  well,  a.  h'umter  ..                                           133 

American  Cotton  Oil  Co.'s  well.  a.  Mobile 308 

Andalusia    &    Vicinity   wells.   Covington 259 

Andalusia  Town  well,  r.  Covington 259 

Anniston  wells.  Calhoun   _    : S5 

Anthony.  M.  well.  r.  Autauga * :__  217 

Ardt.  Frank  well.  Cullman 95 

Arnold,  A.  &  Co.  well,  Cullman !>5 

Atlantic  Compress  Co.   well.  Bullock   _  229 


a — analysis  given,     r- -record  given. 


368  INDEX. 

Auburn  well.  Lee  _  .__71,  223 

AutaugavJlle  well.  Autauga 219 

Auxf'ord,  V.  T.  wells,  a.  r.  Tuscaloosa 121 

Awin  springs,  Wilcox. 281 

Awin  &  Vicinity  springs,  a.  Monroe 276 

Bailey  springs,  a.  Lauderdale 103 

Baker,  T.  A.  well,  Pickens  _                                                     130 

Baker,  J.  M.  well,  Dallas 196 

Ball,  Henry  well,  Pickens , 127 

Baldwin,  Martin  well,  Montgomery 213 

Baltzell.  W.  R.  well,  Greene  _.                                         157 

Bark,  J.  well,  Russell 229 

Bark,  W.  H.  well,  Russell 233 

Barachias  well,  Montgomery 214 

Barnes,  Wiley  well,  Sumter 130 

Barnett,  A.  V.  well,  Bullock 227 

Barren  Fork  spring,  Madison 102 

Barrett's  well,  Mobile 31'> 

Bassetts  Creek  Sulphur  well,  at  Jackson,  a.  Clarke 285 

Battles,  Gus  well,  Russell 23(5 

Bean  place  well,  Dallas 202 

Beavers,  Dr.  J.  A.  shallow  well,  a.  Sumter 320 

Bell,  Elijah  place  well,  Dallas 200 

Bell,  Turner  wells,  Dallas 200 

Bell,  Mrs.  J.  W.  well,  Sumter 135 

Bell  place  well,  Sumter 136 

Bennett,  R.  L.  wells,  Hale 171 

Bently  Lumber  Co.  well,  r.  Crenshaw 262 

Bessie  Minge  Mt'g.  Co.  well,  Marengo 185 

Billingsley  place  wells.  Perry 180 

Bishop,  C.  H.  well,  a.  r.  Barbour 242 

Blackmail,  J.  S.  well,  Perry 181 

Blackmail,  Cobb  well,  r.  Greene 157 

Bladon  Springs,  a.  Choctaw, 291 

Blacksher,  J.  M.  (at  Maros)  well  r.  Monroe 279 

Blacksher  Lumber  Co.  wells,  Mobile 309 

Black  Warrior  Lumber  Co.  well,  Marengo 185 

Blair,  Dr,  spring,  Jackson 92 

Bledsoe,  E.  P.  well,  Macon „ 223 

"Bleak  House"  place  wells,  Hale 174 

Blevin,  Wm.  well,  Cullman 95 

Blount  Springs  &  Vicinity,  a.  Blount 77 

Blount  &  Ward  well,  r.  Hale 167 

Bolen  well,  r.  Clarke 287 

Boligee  &  Vicinity  wells,  Greene 156 

Bonner  Place  well  (Mr.  Hagaman  owner),  Pickens 126 

Borden-Wheeler  springs,  a.  Cleburne 80 

Borden,  Cheney  well,  Hale 168 

Bouchelle,  E.  F.  well,  Greene 156 

Bouchelle,  H.  T.  well,  Greene 156 

Boynton,  M.  A.  well,  Wilcox 282 

Bradford  well,   (Abe  Gray  owner),  Pickens 126 

Brassfield,  D.  S.  well,  Greene  _                                    157 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


INDEX.  369 

Brannon,  J.  S.  well,  Russell 234 

Brantley  Town  well,  a.  Crenshaw 262 

Brnntley  &  Vicinity  wells,  Crenshaw ' 262 

Brewton  &  Vicinity  wells,  Escambia 269 

Bright,  John  W.  shallow  well,  a.  Mobile 306 

Brilliant  Coal  Mines  well,  a.  Marion 96 

Britton,  D.  H.  well,  Marengo 185 

Brockton  well,  Coffee 257 

Brockway,  C.  J.  well,  Sumter 136 

Bromberg   Springs,   a.    Mobile   304 

Brown,  W.  A.  well,  Jefferson 97 

Brown,  Louis  well,  Sumter 141 

Brown  well,  Perry   182 

Brown,  J.  C.  well,  r.  Marengo 186 

Brown  -Station  wells,  Dallas 200 

Buckeye  Cotton  Oil  Mill  well,  r.  Dallas 197 

Bughall   well,   Bullock   228 

Bullock  well,  Greene 357 

Burns,  J.  C.  well.  r.  Autauga 237 

Burton  Hill  wells,  Greene 157 

Burrough's  Springs,  Perry 177 

Bush  well,  Clarke 288 

Butler  Springs,  a.  Butler 265 

Butler  well,  Choctaw - 297 

Butler  &  Vicinity  springs,  Choctaw , 294 

Cahaba  "Great  Well,"  r.  Dallas 193 

Cahaba  River  water  near  Leeds,  a.  Jefferson 317 

Cahaba  wells,  Dallas 192 

Caldwell,  J.  W.  gin  well,  r.  Russell 237 

Capps  Creek  spring,  Lawrence 104 

Caraway  place  well,  Pickens 126 

Carlisle  well,  Etowah 94 

Carmichael  place  well,  Dallas 204 

Cairiiigtoii,  J.  B.  well.  Walker 134 

Carson,  W.  N.  wells,  Dallas 204 

Carter,  J.  H.  well,  Culhnan 95 

Cates  well,  r.  Mareugo  190 

Catherine  &  Vicinity,  Wilcox  282 

Cawthon  Cotton  Mills  well,   Dallas  194 

Cedar  Creek  Mill  Co.  well,  r.  Escambia 271 

Cedarville  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 16.} 

Central  Coal  &  Iron  Co.  wells,  Tuscaloosa 98,  99 

Chambers  Springs,  a.  Talladega 63 

Chandlers  Springs,  a.  Talladega 67 

Chambers  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Chapin  Montgomery  waterworks  well,  Montgomery 209 

Chapman  Springs,  Choctaw 293 

Chapman  wells.   Butler , 267 

Chapman,  L.  L.  well,  Autauga 216 

Cherokee  Spring,  Citronelle,  a.  Mobile 304 

Cherry  place  well,  Pickens 128 

Chesson,  A.  B.  well,  Macon 222 

Chesson  well,  Macon 222 

Chisholm,  Mrs.  well,  Perry 182 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


370  INDEX. 

Chisbolm,  Gordon  well,  Perry 182 

Chisholm,  Johnny  r.  Perry 182 

Chocco  Springs,  Talladega 81 

Citronelle  well.    Mobile   314 

Clarke  place  well,  Greene  _                                                    154 

Clarke  place  well.  Dallas 200 

Clark.  A.   II.  well,  Montgomery 214 

Clayton  City  well.  r.  a.  Barbour 244 

Clinton  Springs,  Perry 177 

Clinton  &  Vicinity  wells.  Greene  1 152 

Cochrane,  W.  A.  well,  Dallas 203 

Cocbrane,  John  wells,  r.  Pickeus 125 

Gorton  Station  well,  Mobile 313 

Colrt  Springs,  a.  Blount 79 

Cole  place  well,  Greene 157 

Coloman,  Judge  wells,  Hale 1(52 

Coleman,  Judge  T.  W.  well,  Greene 155 

Collins,   Mrs.   Julian  well.   Hale   175 

Collins,  C.  W.  wells,  Hale 175 

Columbia  well,   Houston   253 

Comer-Bishop  Co.   well,   Russell   237 

Comer-Bishop  Co.  well,  r.  Barbour 242.  243 

Coiner,  B.  B.  well,  r.  Barbour '. 242,243 

Cook  Springs,  a.  St.  Clair 89 

Cook  Montgomery  well.  r.  Montgomery 210 

Cook,  Dr.  T.  H.  G.  well,  Pickens 129 

Cooper,  L.  C.  well,  Russell 234 

Cooper,  L.  C.  wells,  Crenshaw 202 

Cotton  Oil  Co.  well.  r.  Hale 167 

Cooper  place  well,  Perry  _                                                          179 

Cox,  E.  T.  spring,  a.  Jeft'erson 87 

Cox,  Jesse  well,  r.   Montgomery   213 

Carroll,  Mrs.  well,  Dallas 198 

Crabtree,  O.  V.  well,  r.   Hale 102 

Creek   place   well,    Dallas    206 

Craig,  Edward  well.  Perry 178 

Crawford,  J.  P..  r.  Russell 

Crenshaw  place  well,  Dallas 202 

Crassdale  plantation  well,  a.  Greene 153 

Crenshaw  place  well,  Greene 155 

Croswell.  S.  L.  well.  Greene 1-35 

('room,  Mrs.  Mattie  place  well,  Hale 171 

Cullman  wells.  Cullman «. 95 

Cnllman  City  well.  Cullman 95 

,Cnllman  Co.   Oil  Cos.  well,  Cullman 95 

Cullum  Springs  well.  a.  r.  Choctaw 295 

Cnmmings.  C.  D.  wells,  r.  Hale                                                     __100,  103 

Curtis  well,  Morgan  106 

Cypress   switch   well,   Hale 160 

Davidson.   A.   C.   well.   Dallas   _  200 

Davis  place  well.  Perry 179 

Dayton  wells,  Marengo  _.  180 

Deasons,  W.  S.  well.  Bullock  __.  229 

Dedman  place  wells.  Dallas  _  205 

a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


INDEX.  371 

Degraffenreid,  E.  W..  Hale  _.  104 

DeLacy,  J.  M.  well,  Russell 234 

Demo])olis  &  Vicinity  wells,  Marengo 183 

Demopolis  City  wells,  r.  a.  Marengo 183 

Demopolis  Cooperage  (1o.  wells,  Marengo 183 

Demopolis  Ice  &  Cold  Storage  Co.,  Marengo 184 

Deprez,  L.  W.  well.  Franklin 107 

DeSoto  spring,  a.  Jefferson 90 

Dollarhide  Co.  well,  Greene 155 

Dothan  Ice  Co.  well,  r.  Houston 1 253 

Dotban  Town  well,  r.  Houston 253 

Dothan  City  Water  Co.  well,  -Houston 253 

Downey.  Dr.  W.  T.  spring.  Perry 170) 

Downing,  Wiley  well,  r.  Escambia 271 

Downing,  E.  well.  Escanibia 271 

Downs  and  Vicinity  wells,  Macoii 222 

Drake  place  wells,  Hale 175 

Dreher,  A.  &  Co.  well,  Cullman 95 

Duke  place  well,  Dallas  _              205 

Dump  well,  Eutaw,  a.  Greene  _                                 153 

Dunham  Lumber  Co.  well,  Butler 267 

Dunlap,  C.  C.  well,  Greene 15(> 

Dunlap  place  well.  Hale 175 

Dnrands  Bend  well,  Dallas  _.                 198 

Edgar  well,  r.  Clarke 288 

Edwards.  Adam  place  well,  Dallas 205 

Edwards,  George  well.  Bullock 228 

Kldwards.  Gus  well.  Bullock 227 

Edwards,  Snyder  well,  Dallas 205 

Egypt  place  wells,  Hale 170 

Elba  &  Vicinity  wells,  Coffee 257 

Eleanor  town  well.  Dallas 203 

Elkdale  Park  well,  r.  Dallas 11)7 

Elliott.  J.  A.  &  Son,  r.  a.  Hale 159 

Ellis  &  Dunaway  well,  Dallas 199 

Enterprise  well,  a.  Coffee 258 

Epes  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  a.  r.  Sumter 339 

Epes  &  Vicinity  wells,  Sumter 33:) 

Erie  Landing  well.   r.   Hale J<>0 

Erie  &   Vicinity  wells.  Greene 157 

Erwin.  Geo.  wells.  Hale 170 

Evans  Station  well.  a.  Hale 319 

Evans,  B.  S.  well,  r.  Hale 102 

Evans  Station  &  Vicinity  wells,  a.  Hale 1(52-320 

Evergreen  Town  well,  Conecuh 2r»S 

Eufaula  Oil  &  Gas  Co.  well,  r.  Harbour 240 

Eut'aula    &   Vicinity   wells.   Barbour 240 

Eufaula  Water  Co.  well.  Barbour 240 

Eulow  well,  Dallas 202 

Eutaw  &  Vicinity  wells,  a.  Greene \~>'l 

Eutaw  City  well.  a.  Greene 1 15'-) 

Eutaw  Courthouse  well,  r.  Greene 15'> 

Exchange  Hotel  well,  a.  Montgomery 212 

Fanners  Gin  &  Warehouse  Co.  well.  Hale  _  172 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


372  INDEX. 

Faunsdale  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 175 

Faunsclale  &  Vicinity  wells,  Marengo 185 

Faunsdale  Oil  Mill  well,  Marengo 18(5 

Fayctte  well,  Fayotte 1  114 

Felix  &  Vicinity  wells.  Perry 170 

Ferguson  Place  well,  Pickens 128 

Ferrill,  C.  C.  well,  a.  Dallas 11*5 

Findlay.  John  well,  r.  Hale 160 

Findlay.  W.  A.  well,  Escambia 272 

Fisher,  W.  M.  well.  Antauga 217 

Fitzgerald,  J.  T.  wells,  Perry 181 

Fitzpatrick  well,   Bullock 227 

Flatwoods  or  Post  Oak  wells,  Marengo 188 

Flower,  W.  M.  well,  Butler 26G 

Flower,  W.  J.  Lumber  Co.  wells,  Butler 206 

Ford,  C.  W.  spring,  Perry 177 

Forkland  &  Vicinity  wells.  Greene 157 

Fornian.  W.  E.  well,  a.  Morgan  _    104 

Fort,  Mrs.  PI  W.  well,  Dallas 201 

Fort.  Mrs.  L.  G.  well,  Dallas 202 

Fort  Gaines  well,  r.  a.  Mobile 312 

Fort  Davis,  wells  at,  Macon 223 

Foster,  J.  Manly  wells,  r.  Tuscaloosa 119 

Foster,  Guy  well,  Tuscaloosa 120 

Foster,  R.  M.  place  well,  Perry 176 

Franklin   Springs,  Franklin 102 

Friedman  &  Loveman  well,  r.  Tuscaloosa 119 

Friedman.  B.  deep  boring,  Tuscaloosa 97 

Furniss,  Dr.  J.  P.  well,  Dallas  _  200 

Gainesville  Mill  well,  Sumter  .  137 

Gainesville  &  Vicinity  wells.  Sumter 137 

Gaineswood  well,  Marengo 185 

Galliou  &  Vicinity  wells,  Marengo 185 

Gallion  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 174 

Galloway,  Dr.  J.  M.  well,  Montgomery 214 

Garber  Bros,  well,  Hale 174 

Gardner  &  Somerville  well,  Pickens 126 

Gardner  place  well,  Pickens 126 

Gary  Springs,  a.  Bibb 82,  83 

Gate  City  wells,  Jefferson 86 

Geneva  Public  well,  r.  Geneva 254 

Geneva  Town  well.  r.  Geneva 255 

Gentry,  J.  W.  well,  Sumter 135 

Gewin,  A.  B.  well,  Perry 180 

Gewin,  A.  B.  well,  Hale 170 

Gholson  Place  well,  Marengo 186 

Gholson,   Bob  well,  Bullock 227 

Gibson  place  well,  Pickens , 126 

Gill,  Andrew  well,  Dallas 198 

(Jill  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Oilman,  E.  well,  r.  Dallas 196 

Gilmer,  W.  J.  &  E.  T.,  Perry 182 

Girard  well,  r.  Lee  _         224 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


INDEX.  373 

Glenville  &  Vicinity  wells,  a.  Russell  _  237 

Glenwood   spring,   Blount    SO 

Gold  Dust  Farm  well,  Pickens 128 

Goldsby  place  well,  Pickens 129 

Goyer  wells,  Lawrence 107 

Graham  well,  mouth  of  Bayou  Coden,  Mobile 313 

Graham,  J.  C.  well,  Bullock  , 229 

Graham,  Malcolm  well,  Autauga 217 

Greenville  City  well,  Butler 266 

Groves,  F.  M.  well,  Sumter 136 

Grandview   well,    Elniore    221 

Gray,  Eli  well.  Bullock 227 

Greensboro  &  Vicinity  wells.  Hale 167 

Greensboro  City  wells,  a.  Hale 167 

Griel  Bros,  well,  Montgomery 214 

Griffin,  R.  L.  well,  Hale  _.  160 

Haddock,  F.  P.  well,  Russell 234 

Hairston  well,  Greene 156 

Hairston,  T.  J.  well,  Lowndes 207 

Hale,  Dr.  R.  H.  shallow  well,  a.  Sumter 153 

Hale  Spring,  Jefferson 90 

Hall,  J.  W.  place  well,  Greene 155 

Hamburg  Station  &  Vicinity  wells,  Perry 181 

Hammack,  P.  H.  well,  r.  Montgomery 214 

Hardaway  wells,  Macon 222 

Hardaway  Town  well,  Macon 222 

Hardenburgh,  S.  well,  a.  Hale 172 

Hardin,  G.  H.  well,  r.  Russell 235 

Harmon,  T.  B.  well,  Pike 224 

Harralson,  H.  A.  well,  Dallas 196 

Harrel,  Tom  place  well,  Dallas 202 

Harrell,  W.  J.  well,  a.  Blount 80 

Harrel  place  well,  Dallas 

Herrington  &  Vicinity  wells,  Escambia 271 

Harris,  Will  well,  Macon 222 

Harris,  E.  M.  well,  Franklin 107 

Harris,  Aaron  well,  Pickens —  126 

Harris,  J.  G.  well,  Greene —  154 

Harris,  W.   S.  welj,  Macon  222 

Harris  &  Vicinity  wells,  Barbour 

Hartford  Town  well,   Geneva 

Hartsell  well,  Morgan 107 

Hatch,  Bill  well.  Dallas 205 

Hatchechubbee  &  Vicinity  wells,  Russell  _  234 

Hatcher  plantation  wells,  Russell __236.  238 

Hatcher,  Dr.  well,  Greene 156 

Hawkins  well,  Leeds  mineral  water,  a.  Jefferson 7"> 

Haynesworth  Springs,  Perry 176 

Hayneville  well,  Lowndes 208 

Hazel  Green  well,  Madison : 105 

Healing  Springs,  a.  Washington 299 

Henderson  Lumber  Co.  well,  r.  Covington 261 

Heard,  G.  T.  wells,  Pickens  _  126 

a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


374  INDEX. 

Hermit age  place  well,  Hale  _  174 

Heron,  M.   S.  wells.  Hale 171 

Ilostell  Cotton  Mill  well,  Dallas 196 

Hightower  B.  shallow  well,  a.  Suniter 134 

Hillman,  Emma  R.  well,  Greene  _  157 

Hilton.   Dr.  well,  Pickens 125 

Hogue,  J.  J.  well.  Hale 172 

Holt  wells,  a.  Tnscaloosa  _  __  97,  99 

Hood.  Mrs.  E.  G.  well,  Pickens  _.  127 

Ilornbuckle  place  well.  Perry  _                                                   177 

Horse-Shoe  Lumber  Co.  well,  Covington  _  2G1 

Ilorton.  Mose  place  well,  Greene _  152 

Hosiery-Mill  well,  a.  Tnscaloosa 98 

Huggius,  Dr.  J.  well,  Hale  _.  172 

Hunter  place  well,  Dallas 198 

Hunter,  Mrs.  F.  M.  well.  Dallas 200 

Hurt,  Josh  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Hurtsboro  Public  well,  Russell 233 

Hnrtsboro  &  Vicinity  wells,  Russell .__  233 

Ice-factory  well,  Butler 266 

Inge,  W.  P>.  well,  Hale  _.  161 

Ingram  well,  a.  Calhoun 82 

Ingrain,  C.  E.  well,  r.  Russell  _                                          234 

Irviu  plantation  well,  Hale 171 

Ivey,  G.  A.  well,  a.  Escarnbia 273 

Jackson  place  well,  Pike  _                      224 

Jackson  Mineral  Springs,  Choctaw 294 

Jackson  sulphur  well,  Clarke 285 

Jernigan,  J.  A.  well.  Escambia 271 

Jernigau,  J.  L.,  Escambia 272 

John,  S.  W.  place  well,  Dallas 201 

Johnson  well,    u.prings),  Madison 102 

Johnson.  G.  P>.  well.  Perry 180 

Johnson  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Johnson,  Strong  place  well,  Dallas 204 

Jones,  Amos  well,  Montgomery  _                      214 

Jones,  C.  O.  well,  Dallas 201 

Jones  &  Stewart  well.  Perry  _  181 

Jones,  Mrs.  L.  R.  well,  Dallas 198 

Jones  Estate  well,  Dallas 201 

Jones,   Henry  A.  wells.  Tuscaloosa : 119,  120 

Jones,  Dr.  B.  T.  well,  r.  Pickens  _.                                         129 

Jones,   Winston  well,   Pickens  _          129 

Jones,  Harden  L.  spring,  a.  Sumter  _.                                     132 

Jones,  Sam  T.  wells,  r.   Sumter  _     139 

Jones,  W.  A.  C.  well,  r.  Sumter 140 

Jones  place  well,  Greene  _.                                                 156 

Jones,  Madison  Jr.  wells,  a.  r.  Hale 165 

Jones.  A.  C.  well.  Hale 169 

Jones  Springs,  St.  Clair  _  73 

Kaiser,  Dr.   Spring,  Winston  _                                        92 

Kaolin  Station  well.  Russell 232 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


Lxm-x.                                    .  375 

Karnegie.  Mrs.  C.  L.  well,  Hale 171 

Karnegie  place  well.  Hale 171 

Kay,   Moses  well,   Greene 156 

Keego  well,  Escambia 271 

Kellerman  deep  baring,   Aiisealoosa 07 

Kelly  Bros,  wells.  Hale K>0,  170 

Kendrick   Bros,   wells,   Dallas 200 

Keudrick,  W.  II.  wells,  Dallas 201 

Kimbrongh,  E.  L.  wells,  r.  Hale 164.  166 

King  place  well,  Dallas 204 

King.  Mrs.  wells.  Dallas 201 

King,  Henry  well,  Tuscaloosa 121 

King  place  well,  Pickens 130 

King,  W.  D.  well.  Pickeus 130 

Kirksey  place  well,  Wilcox 282 

Kli,  Geo.  A.  well,  Marengo 184 

Knight.  L.  A.  well,   Sumter 138 

Knight  place  wells,  Hale 170 

Knox,  R.  P.  well,  Marengo _  185 

Knox  Academy  well,  Dallas 106 

Kyle,  T.  S.  shallow  well.  Etowah  _.                                     94 

Lamb,  L.  C1.  wells,  r.  Russell  .  236 

Landers,  W.  II.  well,  r.  Hale 172 

Landers,  A.  M.  shallow  well,  a.  Calhonn 82 

Landlord,  Mrs.  L.  A..  Sumter 138 

Laneville  &  Vicinity  wells.  Hale 174 

Landlord's  spring,  Landerdale 103 

Lanett  wells.  Chambers 70 

Latimer,  E.  S.  well,  Greene 157 

Lawson.  W.  II.  well,  r.  Montgomery 214 

Lawson,  Booker  wells.  Pike 225 

Lay  springs,  Dekalb 01 

Leder  Oil  Co.  well.  Marengo 184 

Lee's  spring.  Landerdale 103 

^ee  Place  well,  i/ickens 127 

jeGrand.  Paul  well.  r.  Montgomery 213 

,ewis.  Mrs.  C.  A.  well,  Greene 157 

,ewis,  I.  F.  well.  Hale 174 

,.  &  X.  R.  R.  wells,  Dallas 100 

,igon  Springs,  Colbert 101 

Jnden  Cniirtlirmse  well,  a.  Marengo 188 

Limlsoy.  Martin,  Hotel  well.  Escambia 272 

Lindsey,  M.  well.  Escambia   _  272 

Linwood  wells.  Pike 225 

Little  Egypt  well,  a.  Greene  _         153 

Little,  .T.  J.  wells.  Sumter 136 

Livingston  eK.  Vicinity  wells,  a.  Sumter 141 

Lock  No.  s.  Black  Warrior  River  well,  a.  Hale 310 

Lock  Xo.  0  wells,  r.  Hale  _.                                                         160 

Lock  No.  8  well.  Hale A 1(51 

Lock   Xo.  7  well  r.  a.   Hale •. 165 

Lock   Xo.  5  well.  r.   160 

Loglon    wells.    Pike                                                                __H__    .__  225 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


376     -  INDEX. 

London.  Mr.  well,  Hale  _                                                      . 175 

Long,  R.  C.  well,  Pickens 129 

Long,  N.  W.  E.  well,  Russell 236 

Long,  R.  IT.  well.  Sumter  _                                                   137 

Long  &  Patterson  wells,  Snmter 138 

Long,  R.  H.  well,  r.  Sumter 139 

"Long  Farm"  place  wells,  Hale 171 

Lovelace  well,  POITY                                    177 

Lower  Salt  works  Sulphur  Spring,  Clarke 283 

Lubbub  Creek  well,  Pickens \ 125 

Lyon,  Andrew  well,  Suinter : 136 

Madden  place,  well,  Hale 175 

Magnesia  spring,  Perry 177 

Manning,  Mat  well,  P]scambia 272 

Manning  place  well,  Pickens  _.     128 

Margaret  S.  T.  well,  Russell 236 

Marion  &  Vicinity  wells,  Perry 178, 180 

Marion  Junction  wells,  Dallas 202 

Marion  Town  well,  Perry 178 

Marion  Junction  &  Vicinity  wells,  Perry 182 

Marks,  Deb.  well,  r.  Greene 157 

Marsh  place  well,  Sumter 138 

Martin,  N.  N.  well,  Escambia ; 272 

Martin's  Station  oc  Vicinity  wells,  Dallas 199 

Martin,  A.  J.  well,  Dallas 199 

Martin,  E.  B.  well,  Dallas 199 

Martin,  W.  H.  well,  r.  Hale 161 

May,  Miss  K.  C.  well,  Hale 164 

Mauldin  place  wells,  Hale 171 

May,  Mrs.  Ben  well,  Sumter 138 

Mayhew,  Mrs.   M.   E.  Pickens 125 

May  hew  place  well,  owned  by  E.  Stuart,  Pickens 126 

Mayor.  W.  T.  well,  Escambia 272 

McCaa,  Mrs.  E.  A.  well,  Pickens 126 

McCaa,  Billy  well,  Pickens 126 

McCaa  place  well,  Pickens 126 

McCarroll,  Mrs.  well,  Perry 181 

..icCreary  place  well,  Dallas  __. : 203 

McClure  Lumber  Co.  well,  Greene 154 

McCurdy,  W.  D.  well,  r.  Lowndes 207 

McDonald,  T.  L.  well,  Russell 236 

McDonald,  J.  H.  well,  Pickens 130 

McGill,  well,  Dallas 196 

McGraw,  W.  H.  (Caledonia)   shallow  well,  a.  Wilcox 280 

McKinstry,  L.  E.,  Pickens 126 

McKinstry,  Mrs.  L.  E.  well,  Pickens 126 

McLendon,  W.  J.  (Oswichee)  well  a.  Russell 234 

McMicken  well,  r.  Russell 234 

Mentone  springs,  a.  Dekalo 91 

Middle  pface  well,  Dallas 206 

Mills.  G.  B.  shallow  well,  a.  Suinter 133 

Milhous,  J.  F.  well,  Dallas 199 

Millions,  Phil  well,  Dallas  _.                                                       .__  199 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


INDEX.  377 

Millious.  P.  Walter  wells,  Dallas  _.  203 

Millwood  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 168 

Minge,  John  well,  r.  Marengo 185 

Minneice,  Tom  well,  r.  Sumter 139 

Mitchell  Station  wells,  Bullock 227 

Mitchell  well.  Dallas 201 

Mize,  J.  C.  well,  Tuscaloosa ,. 117 

Mobile  Oil  Co.  well,  r.  Mobile 309 

Mobile  Electric  Light  Co.,  Mobile 308 

Mobile  Brewery  Co.  well,  r.  Mobile 307 

Mobile  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  a.  Mobile 308 

Mobile  &  Vicinity  wells,  Mobile 307 

Mohr,  Paul  well,  Cullman 95 

Molette  place  well,  Dallas 206 

Monette,  Jack  wells,  Hale 166 

Montgomery  wells,  Montgomery 209 

Montgomery  City  Waterworks  well,  r.  Montgomery 212 

Montgomery  Brewery  Co.  wells,  Montgomery 212 

Moore,  T.  G.  spring,  a.  Hale 319 

Moore,  D.  L.  wells,  Hale 173 

Moore,  Will  wells,  Dallas 202 

Moore  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Moore,   Wm.   piace,   well,  Dallas 204 

.Moore,  John  well,  Dallas 205 

Moore,  Andrew  J.  wells,  Hale 173 

Moore,  T.  well,  Suniter 130 

Moore  spring,  Limestone 102 

Mooring,  Mrs.  well,  Sumter 138 

Morgan,  Senator  John  T.  well,  Sumter 139 

Morris  Lumber  Co.  well,  Greene 255 

Morrisette,  F.  S.  well,  Hale 171 

Morrisette,  F.  S.  plantation  well,  Hale 172 

Morrison,  W.  M.  well,  r.  uussell ;__  235 

Moseley,  Dr.  E.  B.  wells,  Dallas 204 

Moss  Grove  place  wells,  r.  Dallas 204 

Moulton  Valley  wells,  Lawrence 107 

Moulthrop  Brickyard  well,  r.  a.  Barbour 241 

Moundville  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 159 

Murphy,   Will  well,   Tuscaloosa   119 

Murphy,  W.  II.  wells,  r.  Hale  _.                                                 —  169 

Nelson,  W.  P.  well.  Hale  _                       173 

Nelson  place  well,  Dallas 200 

Nelson,  L.  Q.  well,  Autauga 218 

Newberne  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 171 

Newberne  well.  Hale 173 

New  Market  well,  r.  Madison 102, 105 

Nolen  place  well,  Pickens —  126 

Normau  spring,  Perry 176 

North  of  Chunnennugga  Ridge  wells,  Bullock _ 227 

Near  Line  of  So.  R.  R.  wells,  Dallas  _  200 

Oak  Grove  place  well,  Pike "224 

Oakman  well,  Walker 94 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


378  INDEX. 

"Oak  Grove  Place"  wells.  Hale 174 

Ogden  well,  Lamar 114 

Old  Bridgevillo  well,   Pickens 125 

Old  Hamburg  wells.  Perry ITS 

Old  Spring  Hill  well,  Marengo 186 

Old  Salt  wells,  Washington 300 

Old  Salt  wells,  Clarke 284 

Oliver.  Will  well,  Smnter 130 

Oliver,  Robert  well,  Smnter 136 

Oliver  &  Oliver  well,  Smnter 136 

Orion  &  Vicinity  wells,  Pike 224 

Orrville  town  well,  Dallas 101) 

Orrville  &  Vicinity  wells,  r.  Dallas 199 

Otts,  Lee  well,  r.  Hale 1(57 

Otts,  J.  M.  P.  well,  r.  Hale 167 

Overstreet  place  well,   Dallas   202 

Overstreet,  E.  M.  well,  Dallas 204 

Oyster  Canning  Co.'s   well,   a.    (month   of  Bayou  Labatre), 

Mobile 313 

Ozment  spring,  a.  Tuscaloosa 116 

Ozark  town  wells,  a.  Dale 256 

Palmetto  place  well.  Marengo 186 

Parker,  wells  Montgomery,  r.  Montgomery 211 

Parker,  Geo.  H.,  Cullman 95 

Portersville  Bay  Shore  wells,  r.  Mobile 313 

Patterson,  J.  W.  well,  r.  Snmter 137 

Patton,  A.  P.  well,  Greene 152 

Patton,  Jeff  well,  Greene 152 

Peck  place  well,  Hale 170 

Peebles,  W.  B.  well,  Pickens 128 

Peebles,  Win.  well,  Suniter 136 

Pegues  well,  Dallas 201 

Pennell  wells,  Dallas 202 

Peoples  Oil  Mill  well,  Dallas 196 

Perry,  Capt.  E.  C.  well,  r.  a.  Russell 238 

Perry,  Jim  well,  r.  Russell 234 

Perry,  Mrs.  well,  Greene 156 

Persons  Crossing  well  wells,  Russell 236 

Perrin,  Dr.  well,  Greene 156 

Peterson,  W.  A.  well,  Pickens 127 

Pettusville   spring,   Limestone   101 

Pickens,  Ned  well.  Hale 173 

Pickens  place  well,  Hale _ 169 

Pickensville  &  Vicinity  wells,  Pickens 127 

Pierce,  W.  E.  well,  Montgomery 214 

Pine  Hill  well,  Wilcox 282 

Pinson,  J.  H.  well,  Sumter 137 

Pitts,  F.  P.  well,  r.  Russell 237 

Pittsboro  public  well,  r.  a.  Russell 236 

Pittsboro  &  Vicinity  wells,  Russell 236 

Pharr,  J.  R.  place  well,  Wilcox 282 

Phifer,  W.  P.  well,  Hale 160 

Pollard  wells,  Escambia 271 

a— analysis  given,     r— record  given. 


INDEX.  379 

Poplar  spring,  Perry  _                     176 

Pratt,  Mrs.  Julia  A.  well,  r.  Autauga 217 

Pratt  City  wells,  Jefferson 9G 

Pratt,   Daniel   wells,   Autauga   217 

Prattville  &  Vicinity  wells,  r.  a.  Autauga 215,  216,  217,  218,  219 

Prattville  Junction  well,  r.  Elmore 220 

Pringle,  B.  F.  well,  Escambia 272 

Pushmataha  spring,  Choctaw 294 

Quarles,  well  r.  Tuscaloosa 120 

Radfordville  wells,  Perry  _  178 

Rainer,  S.  P.  well,  Bullock 228 

Rainer,  J.  H.,  Bullock 228 

Rainev,  Mrs.  well,  Dallas 205 

Ralston  well.  Mobile 313 

Rascoe  well,  Dallas 201 

Rice,  .Dr.  Clarence  well,  Autauga . —  217 

Richardson  place  well,  Pickens 128 

Ridgeway,  Andrew  well,  Dallas 205 

River  Falls  &  Sanford  wells,  Covington 260 

Reese  place  well,  Dallas 205 

Ringos  Bluff  well,  Pickens 126 

Roba  well,  Macon 223 

Roberts,  Judge  T.  W.  well,  r.  Greene 154,  155 

Roberts  well,  r.  Escambia 273 

Robertson,  J.  N.  well,  Tuscaloosa   117 

Rogers,  N.  A.  wells,  Sumter 135 

Rogers;  J.  P.  wells,  Sumter 136 

Rogers,  Mac.  well,  Sumter 136 

Rogers,    John   well,    Sumter   137 

Rogers,  John  A.  well,  r.  Sumter 138 

Rogers,  Sallie,  r.  Sumter 138 

Rogers,  J.  A.  well,  Sumter 139 

Rogers,  W.  R.  wells,  r.  Pickens  _.                 127 

Ropers  well,    (shallow),  a.  Butler 263 

Roscoe  place  well,  Dallas 

Rosenau  Bros,  well,  Tuscaloosa 97 

Ross  place  well,  Marengo 185 

Ruffin,  Tom  well,  Hale 169 

Rugh  place  well,  Hale  _                                      174 

Russell.  Hart  well,  Macon  _ 

Rutherford  &  Vicinity  wells,  Russell 235 

Rutherford,  H.  M.  well,  r.  Russell 235 

Rutland,  Frank  well,  Bullock  _  227 

Salt  well  near  Bolen  well,  a.  Clarke 287 

Salt  Works  well,  r.  Clarke 288 

Sample,  W.  M.  wells,  r.  Hale 163 

Sanaqua  Mineral  Water,  a.  Madison r 317 

Sanders  Mill  well,  Hale 170 

Sanders  place  well,  Dallas 198 

Sawyerville  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 166 

Scarlock  springs,  Choctaw 294 

a — analysis  given,     r— record  given. 


380  INDEX. 

Schiller,  E.  T.  well,  Etowah  _  94 

Schweizer,  J.  i^.  well,  Dallas  _.                                            196 

Scott  Hill  well,  Lowndes 207 

Scott,  Howze  well,  Perry 180 

Scotts   Station  wells,  Perry   180 

Seay,  Governor  well,  Hale 164 

Scale  Court  House  well,  Russell 234 

Seale  &  Vicinity  wells,  Russell  _,     234 

Searight  wells  (So.  Cotton  Oil  Co.),  Crenshaw 263 

Selden  Place  well,  Marengo 186 

Seldon,  E.  C.  place  well,  Greene : 156 

Selma  Race  Track  well,  Dallas 196 

Selma  &  Vicinity  wells,  Dallas 194 

Selma  City  Waterworks  well,  r.  a.  Dallas 194 

Selma  Council  Chamber  well,  Dallas 195 

Shelby  Springs,  a.  Shelby 75 

Shoal  Creek  Lumber  Co.  well,  r.  Monroe 278 

Shopton  &  Vicinity  wells,  Bullock 227 

Silver  place  wells,  Pike 224 

Simon  Tract  place  well,  Hale 175 

Singleton  &  Linton  well,  r.  Bullock 228 

Singleton,  A.  E.  well,  Bullock 228 

Sipsey  Mill  well,  Pickens 125- 

Sipsey  River  wells,  Pickeus 125 

Sipsey  well,  Greene 152 

Sledge  &  Leonard  well,  Hale i 170 

Smaw  place  well,  Marengo 186 

Smith,  Craig  well,  Dallas 199 

Smith,  C.  M.,  well,  r.  Lowndes 207 

Smith,  Ebo  well,  Dallas 205 

Smith,  E.  I.  well,  Autauga 216 

Smith,  John  B.  shallow  well,  a.  Cherokee 83 

Smith,  Judge  A.  P.  well,  r.  Greene 152 

Smith,  Major  M.  M.  well,  Autauga 219 

Smith,  T.  L.  well,  Sumter 139 

Smith,   Walter  well,   Perry   179 

Smith,  W.  T.  Lumber  Co.  well,  Butler 267 

Smith,  Wash  well,  Dallas 205 

Somerville,  J.  B.  well,  Pickens 129 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  a.  Covington 260 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Crenshaw 262 

Southern  Cotton  Oil  Co.  well,  Butler 266 

Spangenburg  Iron  spring.  Choctaw 294 

Spigener,  G.  Cook  well,  Autauga 217 

Sprague  Junction  wells,  Montgomery 214 

Spring  Hill  well,  Barbour 244 

Sprott  wells,  r.  Perry 177 

St.  Bernard  College  well,  Cullman 95 

St.  Clair  springs,  a.  St.  Clair 73 

State  Farm  wells,  Elmore 221 

Stewart's  well,  Lauderdale 102 

Stewart,  J.  E.  well,  Pickens 127 

Stewart's  &  Vicinity  wells,  Hale 160 

Stuart  Springs,  Schuster,  a.  Wilcox 281 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


INDEX.  381 

Stevenson  place  well,  Dallas 205 

Stollenwerck,  G.  D.  well,  Perry 180 

Stone  Station  well,  Montgomery 214 

Stone  well,  Lauiar 114 

Stone,  H.  L.  well,  Pickens 127 

Stone  Public  well,  Pickens 129 

Stone,  Nan  well,  Smnter 136 

Stovall's  wells,  Walker 95 

St.  Stephens  well,  Washington 301 

Stubb,  I.  K.  well,  Escambia 272 

Stnbbs,  Henry  well,  Dallas 202 

Snlligent  wells,   Lamar 114 

Summerfield  Oil  Mills  well,  Dallas 198 

Sumter  Lumber  Cos.  well,   Sumter 143 

Smnterville  &  Vicinity  wells,  Suniter 141 

Sunshine  well,  Hale 174 

Suttle  &  Jones  plantation  wells,  Perry 179 

Swift  place  wells,  Perry 179 

Swilley  place  well,  r.  Greene 155 

Talladega  springs,  a.  Talladega , 74 

Tallahatta  springs,  Clarke 283 

Talman,  R.  P.  well,  r.  Russell 235 

Tart,  Mrs.  A.  M.  well,  Sumter 140 

Taylor  place  well,  Sumter : 137 

Taylor,  Dave  well,  Dallas 202 

Thigpen,  W.  A.  well,  Perry 180 

Thompson  Station  well,  Bullock 227 

Thornton  place  well.  Greene 156 

Thornton  springs,  Choctaw 290 

Tid-more,  J.  C.  wells,  r.  a.  Perry : 180 

Tinker,  Harris  place  wells,  Hale 171 

Todd's  springs,  Lauderdale 103 

Tompkins,  Judge  H.  B.  well,  Colbert 107 

Town  Creek,  tar  spring,  Lawrrence 104 

Towne  spring,   a.   Jefferson 90 

Troy  City  well,  r.  Pike 225 

Troy  Oil  &  Chem.  Co.  well,  Pike 225 

Tubbs,  W.  R.  well.  Hale 173 

Tubbs,  Mr.  B.  and  Mr.  R.  wells,  Perry 181 

Tubbs,  Reuben  well,  Dallas 202 

Tucker,  Eton  well  r.  Russell 233 

Tunstall,  Wiley  wells,  r.  Hale 168 

Tunnel  Springs  springs,  a.  Monroe 277 

Tunstall,  Mrs.  place  well.  Hale 170 

Turkey  Creek  Springs,  Choctaw 293 

Turnipseed,  Mrs.  Sallie  well,  Pickens 

Turpin,  J.  H.  well,  r.  Hale 172 

Tuscaloosa  City  well.  Tuscaloosa 98 

Tuskegee  wells,   Macon   222 

Tutwiler,  Peyton  wells,  Perry 178 

Tyson,  Silas  wells,  Montgomery 214 

Ullman  place  wells,  Dallas 202 

Underwood,  Ike  place  wen,  Perry 178 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


382  INDEX. 

Union  Slaughterhouse  well,  r.  Montgomery 213 

Union  Springs  and  vicinity  wells,  Bullock 228 

Union  Springs  City  waterworks  well,   r.  a.   Bullock 228 

Uniontown  and  vicinity  wells.  Perry 180 

University  of  Alabama  spring,  a.  Tnscaloosa 116 

I' pshaw  Bros,  well,  Russell r 236 

Upshaw.  J.  W.   well,  r.  Russell   236 

Yalhermoso  springs,  Lawrence 103 

Vandorslice  place  wells,  Perry 179 

Van  Dorn   Station  well,   Marengo   185 

Vaughn,  Dave  well,  Wilcox 282 

Vaughn  place  well.  Perry 179 

Verner,  Charles  &  King,  Henry  well,  r.  Tuscaloosa 120 

Vienna  Baptist  Church   well,   Pickens   126 

Vorn,  W.  W.  well.  r.  Covington , 261 

Wade  place  well,  Dallas 203 

Wadsworth.  Alt',  well,  Autauga   219 

Wadsworth,  John  well,  r.  Autauga 219 

Walker  Springs,  Choctaw 294 

Walker  Springs,  Clarke 286 

Walker  place  well,  Pickens 127 

Walker,  Mims  well,  Marengo   186 

Walker,  C.  D.  wells,  Marengo 186 

Walker,  A.  E.  well.  Hale 171 

Walker,  J.  N.  well,  Dallas 203 

Walker,  A.  B.  well,  Russell 234 

Wallace,  R.  B.  wells.  Perry 181 

Wallace.  T.  M.  wells,  Perry 177 

Waller,  Lichtman  &  Murphy  Land  &  Development  Co.  wells, 

r.  a.  Hale 161 

Ward,  tract  well,  Dallas 203 

Warriorstand  well.  Macon 222 

Warsaw  &  Vicinity  wells,  Sumter 135 

Washington,  Carter  well,  Hale 173 

Washington,  George  well,  Dallas 205 

Watt  place  well,  Dallas 205 

WTebb,  Capt.  James  well,  r.  Greene 156 

Webb,  John  C.  wells,  r.  Marengo 184 

Wedgworth  Store  well,  Hale 164 

Wedgworth,  W.  M.  wells,  r.  a.  Hale 162,  163,  164 

Wedgworth  (Greenwod,  Mays  Sta.)  wells,  Hale 163 

Wedgworth,  C.  H.  well,  r.  Hale 163 

Wedgworth,  W.  E.  wells,  r.  Hale 162, 164 

Welch  plantation  well,   Dallas 198 

Welch,  J.  C.  wells,  Perry 180 

Weston  place  well,  Sumter 136 

White,  T.  A.  well,  r.  Sumter 141 

White,  R.  A.  well,  Hale 173 

White,  Sallie  well,  Perry 182 

White,  Judge  W.  R.  well,  Pike 225 

White,  S.  H.  wells,  Dallas .__  203 

Whitfleld,  Jesse  wells,  Marengo 185 


a — analysis  given,    r — record  given. 


INDEX.  383 

Whitsitt  &  Vicinity  wells,  'Hale  _  170 

Wliitten,  W.  E.  well,  Pickens 130 

Wier,  Mrs.  Peter  wells,  Sumter 130 

Wier,  Wm.  well,  r.  Sumter 138 

Wiggins,  C.  L.  well,  Escambia 272 

Wilder,  Sam,  wells,  Pickens 125 

Wilder  Place  wells,  Pickens  _  128 

Wilkins,  J.  F.   (old)   wells,  Pickens 127 

Wilkins,  Minge,    (old)    weiis,  Marengo 186 

Williams,  L.  W.  well,  Pike 225 

Williford's  Landing  well,  a.  Tnscaloosa 122 

Willis,  Wm.  well,  Sumter 136 

Wilson.'  Mrs.  well,  Macon 223 

Wilson  place  wells,  Dallas  _  200,204 

Wilson,  Allen  place  wells.  Hale 164 

Wyndham  Place  wells,  Pickens 128 

Windsor  Place  wells,  Marengo 185 

Witherspoon's  Spring,  Lauderdale 103 

Wood  place  well,  Dallas 206 

Woodruff  place  well,  Dallas 202 

Wooley  Springs,  Limestone  102 

Wooten  well,  Marengo 189 

Wyndham  Springs,  Tuscaloosa 92 

Wyndham,  Walter  well,  Pickens 129 


a — analysis  given,     r — record  given. 


Antauga  County.     215.219. 

Artesian    prospects 215 

Wells   described   216-17-18-19 

Shallow  waters 215 

Harbour  County.     2.38-244. 

Artesian  prospects 240 

Surface  features 238 

Baldwin  County.     314-316. 

Artesian    prospects    316 

Mineral  waters 316 

Shallow  waters 315 

Surface  features 314 

Bashi  formation 17 

Bibb  County,  Appalachian  division,  83 ;  Coastal  Plain  division,  122. 
Bullock  County.     226-229. 

Artesian  prospects 227 

Surface  features 226 

Butler  County.     263-267. 

Artesian    prospects    266 

Mineral  waters 263 

Surface  features 263 

Cahaba  field  details 94 

Cullman  County 95 

Chattahoocb.ee  River  drainage,  "Blue  Marl"  region 230 

Chattahoochee  Series 21 

Cbickasaw  Group 15 

Chilton  County 123 

Choctaw  County.     290-297. 

Artesian  prospects '. 295 

Mineral  extracts 290 

Mineral    springs   290 

Of  the  Buhrstone  &  Hatchetigbee  formation 291 

Of  the  Claiborne  formation 290 

Of  the  Naheola  formation 295 

Of  the  Nanafalia  formation 294 

Of  Tuscahoma  formation 294 

Of  Woods  Bluff  formation 294 

Surface  features   290 

Claiborne  Group 17 

Clarke  County.     283-289. 

Artesian  prospects 284 

Mineral  waters 283 

Surface  features    283 

Clayton  limestone 15 

Climate  of  Alabama 25 

Coal  fields,  Geological  characters 9 

Details  in 88 

Coastal  Plain  Division,  geological  characters,  12;  general  ac- 
count of,  108;  arrangement  of  strata  in,  61;  details  of 
waters  in  108,  318,  320. 


INDEX.  385 

Coffee  County.     256-258. 

Artesian  prospects 256 

Surface  features 256 

Conecuh  Comity.     267-268. 

Artesian  prospects 268 

Surface  features 267 

Corrections  _ 1__ 1 321 

Coviugtcn  County.     258-261. 

Artesian  prospects _1 259 

Shallow  waters '-- 258 

Surface  features 258 

Crenshaw  County.     261-263. 

Artesian  prospects 261 

Surface  features   . 261 

Cretaceous,   Geological   characters  of,   13;   Details  of     Water 

Resources  of,  111,  318. 
Dale  County.     255-256. 

Artesian  prospects 255 

Dallas  County.     190-206. 

Artesian  records 192 

General   conditions 190 

Decline  and  failure  of  Artesian  wells 62 

Deep-seated  waters 

Deep  springs . 51 

D.eep  zone  of  flow  of  underground  waters 46 

Depth  of  penetration  of  underground  waters 36 

Discussion  by  counties — Cretaceous . 111 

Discussion  by  counties — Tertiary : 245 

Disposition  of  water  falling  upon  land  surface 32 

Direct  runoff  or  flood  flow 33 

Distribution  and  movement  of  underground  waters 37 

Driven  wells,  recovery  of  water  by 49 

Effects  of  erosion  on  artesian  wells 57 

Elmore  County.     219-221. 

Artesian  conditions 220 

Shallow   waters 219 

Surface  features  219 

Eocene  formations 14 

Escambia  County.     268-275. 

Artesian  prospects r 269 

Surface  features . 268 

Essential  conditions  of  artesian  wells 52 

Etowah  County 93,94 

Fayette  County,  Appalachian  Division,  97;  Coastal  Plain  Division,  114 

Final  runoff,  underground  water 35 

Fog    — — _' 29 

Form  of  underground  water  table 44 

Frost 26 

General  discussion  underground  waters 32 

Geneva  County.     254-255. 

Surface  features 254 

Artesian  prospects 254 

Geographic  position  of  Alabama 1 

Geology  of  Alabama,  general  account  of 4 

Gosport  greensand 1 18 

Grand  Gulf  formation,  Geological  characters,  22 ;  special  topo- 
graphic and  other  features  of,  248  to  251. 


386  INDEX. 

Greene  County.     143-157. 

Surface  features 143 

Artesian   records   145 

Ground  water,  division  of 4.H 

Ground  water  movements,  modification  of  due  to  stratification  40 

Ground  water,  modification  of  movements  of 37 

Ground  water  movements  modified  by  topography 43 

Ground  water  table,  form  of 44 

Hail  29 

Hale  County.     158-17G,  318. 

Surface  features , 158 

Artesian   wells   158 

Hatchetigbee  formation 17 

Henry  County . 252 

Surface  features 252 

Artesian  records 1 252 

Houston  County.     252-253. 

Surface  features 252 

Artesian  records 253 

Incomplete  saturation  by  underground  waters 39 

Jefferson  County _  96 

Lafayette  formation 24 

Lamar  County.     113-114. 

Artesian  prospects 114 

Shallow  waters    - 113 

Later  formations  of  Coastal  Plain • 25 

Lee  County.     223-224. 

Artesian   prospects 223 

Surface  features 223 

Lisbon  formation 18 

Lost  water L 39 

Lowndes  County.     206-208. 

Artesian   records   207 

Surface  features  206 

Macon  County.     221-223. 

Artesian  prospects 221 

Surface  features 221 

Marengo  County.     182-190. 

Artesian   records   . 183 

Surface  features  i 182 

Marion  County I __  96 

Midway  group   15 

Mineral  ingredients  in  Artesian  water 64 

Mineral  waters,  Appalachian  Division. 

Talladega  Mountain-  &  Ashland  Plateau 67 

Appalachian  valleys  71 

Coal   Measures  88 

Valley  of  Tennessee 101 

Miocene  formations 21 

Modifying  conditions  in  artesian  wells ,  57 

Mobile  County.     302-314. 

Artesian   prospects    307 

Mineral  waters 304 

Surface  features 302 

Mobley,  Judge,  list  of  Greene  County  wells 146 


387 

Monroe  County.     276-279. 

Artesian  prospects «._. fc __  277 

Mineral  waters 276 

Surface  features 276 

Montgomery  County.     208-214. 

Artesian   records   . 208 

Shallow  waters . 208 

Surface  features 208 

Mountain  and  table-lands,  general  discussion 3 

Nanafalia    formation 10 

Naheola   formation   15 

Open  wells,  discussion  concerning 40 

Pascagoula  formation 21 

Permeability  of  rocks 40 

Perry  County.     176-182. 

Artesian   wells 177 

In  Eutaw  formation 178 

In  Selrna  Chalk 170 

In  Tuscaloosa  formation 177 

Shallow  waters 176 

Physical  Geography,  Geology,  and  Climate 1 

Physical  Geography  and  natural  divisions 1 

Pickens  County.     123-130. 

Wells  in  Eutaw  formation,  124 ;  in  Selma  Chalk,  128. 
Pike  County.     224-226. 

Artesian  prospects 224 

Pliocene  formations 21 

Porosity  of  rocks 37 

Precipitation   28 

Quaternary   formations   24 

Recovery  of  underground  waters - - ^ , , 48 

River  systems  in  Alabama,  general  discussion ^  2 

Russell  County.     232-238. 

Artesian   records   . 232 

Surface  features ^ 232 

Sucarnochee  clay 15 

Saline  waters ;  Appalachian  Valleys,  82 ;  in  chemical  discussion,  232 

Source  of  circulating  waters , ^_ 32 

Springs  deep  (fissure  Springs)   51 

Springs,  recovery  of  water  by 48 

St.  Stephens  Limestone -_  If 

Sulphur  and  chalybeate  waters  Appalachian  Valleys 73 

Sulphur  Springs  Valley  of  the  Tennessee 101 

Sumter  County.     131-143,  370. 

Artesian  prospects . — ^_,. 135 

Shallow  waters 131 

Surface  features 131 

Supplementary  notes  317 

Surface  configuration  and  grand  division  of  Alabama.-. 1 

Surface  zone  of  flow  in  underground  waters .. 44 

Tables  of  chemical  analyses  of  Alabama  waters _  351 

Talladega  Mountains  and  Ashland  Plateau,  Geology,  6. 
Details  of  underground  waters  in  66. 

Tar  Springs  in  Valley  of  the  Tennessee „  104 

Temperature  of  Alabama;  climatic  discussion 26 

Of  artesian  well  waters  _  63 


388  INDEX, 

Tertiary,   geological   characters  of,   14;   Details  of  Water  Re- 

sources  of,  24.'..  320. 
Thunderstorms  in  Alabama  ;  climatic  discussion  ______________         2J> 

Tuscaloosa   County.  Appalachian  division   ___________________         97 

Tusealoe.sa  County-    Coastal  Plain  division.     115-122. 

Artesian  prospects  _______________________________________        11T 

Shallow  waters  __________________________________________       115 

Surface    features    ________________________________________       115 

{  'iidorground  waters:  cause  and  rate  of  movement  of,  40;  de- 
tailed description  of  in  Alabama,  GO;  distribution  &  move- 
ments of,   .'57;    general   discussion  of,   32;    movements     of 
modih'ed   by   physical   structure,   37;   by  stratification,  40; 
by  topography.  43;  recovery  of,  48;  source  of,  32. 
Valley  of  the  Tennessee,  Geological  characters,   10. 

Details  of  underground  waters  in  _________________________  100,317 

Variations  in  the  confining  impervious  beds  __________  ________         ;'»;> 

Variation  in  water-bearing  stratum  __________________________         58 

Velocity  of  movement  of  underground  waters  ________________         41 

Walker    County    ____________________________________________         94 

Warrior  field,  artesian  prospects  in  _________________________          91 

Washington  County.     297-302. 

Artesian    prospects    _______________  :  _____________________  _..  300 

Mineral   Springs  _____________________  ^  ____________________  298 

Of  the  Grand  Gulf  formation  ____________________________  L'W 

Of  the  Hatchetigbee  formation  _________________________  lf>8- 

Surface  features   ________________________________________  297 


Water,  amount  available  to  artesian  wells 


Waters  of  the  Cretaceous  ______________________  _  ___________  lli 

•  Of  the  Tertiary  ,  ________________________________________  245 

Wilcox  County.     279-282. 

Artesian   prospects    ______________________________________  282 

Mineral    waters   __________________________  _______________  28*) 

Surface  features   ________________________________________  279 

Winds  3Q 


C    UNIVERSITY   I 
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